Phytomelioration of orchard agrocenosis as a way to enhance soil fertility and apple trees productivity

Abstract

The results of a field experiment to study the effect of grassing in the orchard and microbial preparations (MP) have been presented in the article. The experiment was carried out in the Crimea on a meadow alluvial calcareous soil. Mixtures of herbs (MH) were investigated: MH2 - multiflorous ryegrass + blue alfalfa; MH3 - meadow fescue + meadow clover; MH4 - multiflorous ryegrass + blue alfalfa + meadow fescue + meadow clover + awnless rump. Control is the natural grassing (NG). The MP were used: Azotobacterin (AB) and the Complex of microbial preparations (CMP). Control was without the use of MP. When the soil was grassed with mixtures of herbs, 1.8-3.3 times more plant residues were added to the soil relative to natural grassing, with a maximum of MH3 mixture. Biologization led to an increase in soil fertility - Corg by 0.57-0.60% and nutrients: NO3- - 47-86%; P2O5 - 34-155%; К2О - 8-22%. This increases the productivity of apple trees by 22–43%. The combination of MH3 and CMP had a greater effect on the content of phosphorus and potassium and increased the productivity of the apple tree to a greater extent.