Mt. Oliveira et Ia. Merwin, Soil physical conditions in a New York orchard after eight years under different groundcover management systems, PLANT SOIL, 234(2), 2001, pp. 233-237
An experiment was conducted near Ithaca, New York, to compare orchard soil
and groundcover management systems (GMSs) in a silty clay loam soil (mixed,
mesic, Glosaquic Hapludalf). Three replications of four GMS treatments wer
e randomly assigned to 12 plots and maintained since 1992 in 2 m-wide strip
s within tree rows: (1) Sod: Red fescue (Festuca rubra) turfgrass mowed biw
eekly; (2) Post-HBS: Post-emergence applications of glyphosate herbicide in
May and July annually; (3) Pre-HBS: Pre-emergence applications of paraquat
, diuron and norflurazon herbicides each May; and (4) Mulch: A 15-cm depth
layer of shredded hardwood bark mulch, renewed triennially. After eight yea
rs of continuous treatments, we compared soil physical conditions and hydra
ulic properties in these GMSs. Bulk density was lower and soil porosity gre
ater under Mulch than other GMSs. Infiltration was more rapid under Mulch t
han other GMSs, and under Post-HBS than Sod. Saturated hydraulic conductivi
ty ranged from 6 x 10(-4) m(.)s(-1)under Sod to 12 x 10(-4) m(.)s(-1) under
Mulch plots, and was equivalent in Sod and Pre-HBS, lower in Sod than Post
-HBS or Mulch treatments, higher in Post-HBS than Pre-HBS, and higher in Mu
lch than all other GMSs. Volumetric soil water content at field capacity ra
nged from 0.47 under Mulch to 0.40 under Sod, and was not significantly dif
ferent among GMSs between 0.99 and 39.22 kPa of pressure. GMS treatments an
d related management practices at this orchard had substantially different
long-term effects on soil physical conditions. Compaction and reduced infil
tration in Sod compared with other GMSs were attributed to tractor wheel tr
affic during mowing. Mulch treatments improved soil conditions relative to
other GMSs. Greater infiltration rates and hydraulic conductivity under Pos
t-HBS compared with Pre-HBS suggest relative advantages of post-emergence h
erbicides.