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Cover crops (living mulches) in the tree row of organic orchards: why and how? (BIOFRUITNET Practice Abstract)

{Tool} Cover crops (living mulches) in the tree row of organic orchards: why and how? (BIOFRUITNET Practice Abstract). Creator(s): Jacquot, Maxime and Parveaud, Claude-Eric. Issuing Organisation(s): GRAB - Groupe de Recherche en Agriculture Biologique. Biofruitnet Practice Abstract, no. 079. (2022)

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[thumbnail of Les plantes de couverture dans les rangs des vergers biologiques : pourquoi et comment ?] PDF - Published Version - French/Francais (Les plantes de couverture dans les rangs des vergers biologiques : pourquoi et comment ?)
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Document available online at: https://orgprints.org/44786


Summary in the original language of the document

After establishing living mulch, tree row maintenance is cheaper and, depending on the species, can provide different ecosystem services (e.g., nitrogen fixation), functional biodiversity (e.g., nectar source for pollinators, habitat for beneficials), soil conservation, etc... The cultivation of secondary cash crops as living mulch can be a source of additional income.
Practical recommendation
• Prepare the establishment of the living mulch with summer tillage, then prepare the seedbed in early autumn.
• Prefer short, low-lying perennial species with high capacity of soil coverage in irrigated orchards.
• For perennial species, sow or plant living mulches in autumn to favour their establishment. During the first season, one or two mowings and possibly manual weed control may be necessary. After establishment, if necessary, mow once a year to maintain a moderate plant height.
• Among the perennial living mulching species adapted to orchards in different pedo-climatic conditions: yarrow (Achillea millefolium, Picture 1), wild strawberries (Fragaria vesca), peppermint (Mentha piperita), lady’s mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris, Picture 2), crawling thymes (Thymus spp.), mouse-ear hawkweed (Pilosella officinarum), caucasian crosswort (Phuopsis stylosa, Picture 3), creeping cinquefoil (Potentilla reptans) and white bedstraw (Galium album).
• For rainfed orchards or those with a high risk of vole damage, favour the sandwich system (Tschabold, 2009) or the cultivation of annual species (vegetables, annual clover, etc.).
• When selecting the species, favour local ecotypes better adapted to pedo-climatic conditions.


EPrint Type:Practice tool
What problem does the tool address?:Weed management of the tree row is a major issue in organic fruit production. Tillage requires special machinery, it is costly, time consuming and can be detrimental to soil fertility.
What solution does the tool offer?:The cultivation of understorey cover crops (living mulches) is a promising alternative of row management for weed control as it does not require the use of artificial (plastic) mulch.
Country:France
Type of Practice Tool:Practice abstracts
Keywords:Cover plants, Intercropping, Temperate fruits, Soil fertility, Soil conservation, Ecosystem services
Agrovoc keywords:
Language
Value
URI
English
cover plants
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_1936
English
intercropping
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_3910
English
temperate fruits
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_7655
English
soil fertility
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_7170
English
soil conservation
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_7165
English
ecosystem services
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_1348040570280
Subjects: Environmental aspects > Biodiversity and ecosystem services
Crop husbandry > Production systems > Fruit and berries
Crop husbandry > Weed management
Research affiliation: European Union > Horizon 2020 > Biofruitnet
France > GRAB - Groupe de Recherche en Agriculture biologique
European Union > Organic Farm Knowledge
Horizon Europe or H2020 Grant Agreement Number:862850
Related Links:https://organic-farmknowledge.org/tool/44786, https://biofruitnet.eu
Project ID:ofk
Deposited By: Basler, Andreas
ID Code:44786
Deposited On:10 Dec 2022 17:11
Last Modified:13 May 2024 08:28
Document Language:English, German/Deutsch, French/Francais
Status:Published

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