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Effects of long-term use of apple orchards on some aspects of soil physical quality
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Authors: | Jacek Pranagal1, Mirosław Konopiński2, Eugenia Czernyszewicz3 1Institute of Soil Science, Environment Engineering and Management, University of Life Science in Lublin ul. S. Leszczyńskiego 7, 20-069 Lublin 2Department of Soil Cultivation and Fertilization of Horticular Plants, University of Agriculture, ul. Leszczyńskiego 58, 20-068 Lublin, Poland 3Subdepartment of Horticultural Economics University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20-068 Lublin, ul. Leszczyńskiego 58, Poland |
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Abstract : | The study reported here was aimed at the estimation of the effects of over 15-years of cultivation of apple trees on the physical status of soil in orchards situated on various soils. The study was conducted on soils with silty particle size distributions (a Haplic Chernozem developed from loess, a Haplic Luvisol developed from loess (1), a Haplic Luvisol (non-uniform), developed from silt (2), and a Fluvic Cambisol developed from silty formations). The determinations included the particle size distribution and the density of the soils, solid phase density, total porosity (TP), field water capacity (FC). In addition, the quality of the air-water relations was analysed, determining the values of FC/TP ratio. The study showed that the values of the parameters under analysis were affected by the soil type, genetic horizon, soil layer, and also by the intensity of orchard care. Long-term maintenance of herbicide belts had a fairly beneficial effect on the physical status of the soils under study. A slight compaction of soil was noted (in comparison with the normal consolidation system of weakly-compacted one) as well as very good water properties. It is predicted that, only at the state of field saturation of the soil with water, conditions occurred that inhibited gas exchange between the soil and the atmosphere. |
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Keywords : | multi-year orchard cultivations, apple tree, physical properties of soil | ||||||||
Language : | english |