Orchard Floor Management Affects Tree Functionality, Productivity and Water Consumption of a Late Ripening Peach Orchard under Semi-Arid Conditions
Semi-arid conditions are favorable for the cultivation of late ripening peach cultivars; however, seasonal water scarcity and reduction in soil biological fertility, heightened by improper soil management, are jeopardizing this important sector. In the present two-year study, four soil managements w...
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MDPI AG
2020-11-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/22/8135 |
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| author | Pasquale Losciale Liliana Gaeta Luigi Manfrini Luigi Tarricone Pasquale Campi |
| author_facet | Pasquale Losciale Liliana Gaeta Luigi Manfrini Luigi Tarricone Pasquale Campi |
| author_sort | Pasquale Losciale |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Semi-arid conditions are favorable for the cultivation of late ripening peach cultivars; however, seasonal water scarcity and reduction in soil biological fertility, heightened by improper soil management, are jeopardizing this important sector. In the present two-year study, four soil managements were compared on a late ripening peach orchard: (i) completely tilled (control); (ii) mulched with reusable reflective plastic film; (iii) mulching with a Leguminosae cover-crop flattened after peach fruit set; (iv) completely tilled, supplying the water volumes of the plastic mulched treatment, supposed to be lower than the control. Comparison was performed for soil features, water use, tree functionality, fruit growth, fruit quality, yield and water productivity. Even receiving about 50% of the regular irrigation, reusable reflective mulching reduced water loss and soil carbon over mineralization, not affecting (sometimes increasing) net carbon assimilation, yield, and fruit size and increasing water productivity. The flattening technique should be refined in the last part of the season as in hot and dry areas with clay soils and low organic matter, soil cracking increased water evaporation predisposing the orchard at water stress. The development and implementation of appropriate soil management strategies could be pivotal for making peach production economically and environmentally sustainable. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:48:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b128895c8e9c4144acefefb459d4786e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:48:01Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
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| spelling | doaj.art-b128895c8e9c4144acefefb459d4786e2023-11-20T21:13:59ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172020-11-011022813510.3390/app10228135Orchard Floor Management Affects Tree Functionality, Productivity and Water Consumption of a Late Ripening Peach Orchard under Semi-Arid ConditionsPasquale Losciale0Liliana Gaeta1Luigi Manfrini2Luigi Tarricone3Pasquale Campi4Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences–DiSSPA-, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70126 Bari, ItalyResearch Centre for Agriculture and Environment, CREA-Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, 70125 Bari, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural and Food Sciences–DISTAL, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, ItalyResearch Centre for Viticulture and Enology, CREA-Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, 70010 Turi, ItalyResearch Centre for Agriculture and Environment, CREA-Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, 70125 Bari, ItalySemi-arid conditions are favorable for the cultivation of late ripening peach cultivars; however, seasonal water scarcity and reduction in soil biological fertility, heightened by improper soil management, are jeopardizing this important sector. In the present two-year study, four soil managements were compared on a late ripening peach orchard: (i) completely tilled (control); (ii) mulched with reusable reflective plastic film; (iii) mulching with a Leguminosae cover-crop flattened after peach fruit set; (iv) completely tilled, supplying the water volumes of the plastic mulched treatment, supposed to be lower than the control. Comparison was performed for soil features, water use, tree functionality, fruit growth, fruit quality, yield and water productivity. Even receiving about 50% of the regular irrigation, reusable reflective mulching reduced water loss and soil carbon over mineralization, not affecting (sometimes increasing) net carbon assimilation, yield, and fruit size and increasing water productivity. The flattening technique should be refined in the last part of the season as in hot and dry areas with clay soils and low organic matter, soil cracking increased water evaporation predisposing the orchard at water stress. The development and implementation of appropriate soil management strategies could be pivotal for making peach production economically and environmentally sustainable.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/22/8135mulchingflatteningirrigationphotosynthesistranspirationsoil quality |
| spellingShingle | Pasquale Losciale Liliana Gaeta Luigi Manfrini Luigi Tarricone Pasquale Campi Orchard Floor Management Affects Tree Functionality, Productivity and Water Consumption of a Late Ripening Peach Orchard under Semi-Arid Conditions Applied Sciences mulching flattening irrigation photosynthesis transpiration soil quality |
| title | Orchard Floor Management Affects Tree Functionality, Productivity and Water Consumption of a Late Ripening Peach Orchard under Semi-Arid Conditions |
| title_full | Orchard Floor Management Affects Tree Functionality, Productivity and Water Consumption of a Late Ripening Peach Orchard under Semi-Arid Conditions |
| title_fullStr | Orchard Floor Management Affects Tree Functionality, Productivity and Water Consumption of a Late Ripening Peach Orchard under Semi-Arid Conditions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Orchard Floor Management Affects Tree Functionality, Productivity and Water Consumption of a Late Ripening Peach Orchard under Semi-Arid Conditions |
| title_short | Orchard Floor Management Affects Tree Functionality, Productivity and Water Consumption of a Late Ripening Peach Orchard under Semi-Arid Conditions |
| title_sort | orchard floor management affects tree functionality productivity and water consumption of a late ripening peach orchard under semi arid conditions |
| topic | mulching flattening irrigation photosynthesis transpiration soil quality |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/22/8135 |
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