An alternative to herbicides in dwarf apple orchards (Malus pumila Mill.) is the use of mulches. Research objectives were to compare several mulch systems (Festuca rubra L., Lupinus albus L. plus Daucus carota L.; straw, manure compost, geotextile) with soil cultivation as to soil physical properties and plant nutrient levels in soils, leaves and fruit. Studies carried out in 1992 and 1993 on three dwarf apple orchards on the Macdonald Campus of McGill University showed that straw mulch increased soil water contents and exchangeable K, but reduced exchangeable Mg compared to Festuca mulch. Straw mulch reduced soil temperatures in summer relative to geotextile or cultivation. Festuca reduced leaf N contents but increased leaf P contents-elative to geotextile treatments. Soil nitrate N contents were correlated with soil water contents, and the ratios N/Ca and K/Ca in the fruit were unaffected by treatment. Straw and geotextile mulches increased soil water content and nitrate-N levels during peak sowing periods and thus were the superior treatments.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.55402 |
| Date | January 1994 |
| Creators | Walsh, Brice D. (Brice David) |
| Contributors | MacKenzie, A. F. (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Department of Natural Resource Sciences.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001443081, proquestno: AAIMM00065, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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