Orchard Management

CLEAN CULTIVATION, SOD CULTURE AND SOD MULCH

Clean cultivation:

• In this management system, the inter space between the trees is kept clean by tillage and removal of weeds (Plate 2.1).
• It is commonly followed in young orchards. Clean cultivation does not provide satisfactory results especially during rainy season.

Plate 2.1: Clean cultivation in hedge-row plantation of pear

Advantages:

i. Improves soil aeration and physical conditions.
ii. Controls weeds and thus reduces competition for light, nutrients, and moisture.
iii. Eliminates or avoids alternate hosts for pests and diseases.
iv. Improves the infiltration of water through breaking the hard soil surface crust.
v. Enhances biological activity in the soil through better aeration.

Disadvantages:

i. Depletion of organic matter.
ii. Soil erosion by water and wind.
iii. Loss of nutrients due to excessive leaching.

Sod Culture:

• This practice is followed in the orchard located on sloppy land, particularly when the gradient of the slope is greater than 10 per cent.
• In this system, grasses are allowed to grow in the interspaces between the trees without tillage or mulching (Plate 2.2).
• Mixing of clovers- [red clover (Trifolium pretense)], white clover (Trifolium repense) with grasses is useful for improving soil fertility.
• The grasses are mowed periodically to reduce competition for water and nutrients with the trees. Orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata) is suitable for areas facing north, tall fescues (Festuca arundinaceae) a drought tolerant perennial grass for areas facing south, and Timothy (Phleum pretense) for cold temperate region.
• This system prevents soil erosion to the greatest extent; however it should not be followed in orchards of young or dwarf trees because such trees are shallow rooted and compete for nutrients and water with grasses.
• The roots of large trees on the other hand penetrate the soil to a greater depth and are less likely to suffer from such competition.
• Tree basins are kept free of weeds by tillage or application of herbicides.

Plate 2.2: Sod plus herbicidal strip in apple orchard

Advantages:

1. Controls soil erosion.
2. Maintains optimum soil moisture to ensure water and nutrients supply to trees.
3. Maintains organic matter.
4. Provides better aeration to the roots.
5. Enhances microbiological activity in the soil through better aeration
6. Avoids bruising of falling fruits.

Sod mulch: 

• In this method, grasses are allowed to grow in the entire area of the orchard.
• Tree basins are mulched with straw, instead of tilling.
• The grasses are mowed down regularly and are spread to maintain the mulch in basins (Plate 2.3).
• This method is best suited in orchards on steep slopes to prevent soil erosion.

Plate 2.3: Sod mulching in olive

Advantages:

1. It has all the advantages of sod-tilled method.
2. Most suitable for orchards on slopes having greater gradient.
3. Highly effective for controlling soil erosion.
4. Conserves moisture and controls weeds in tree basins.
5. Improves fruit colouration and enhances fruit maturity.