Randomized trial demonstrates improved soil quality and apple yield in rain-fed orchards, suggesting a new management strategy.
Key Points
To evaluate the integrated effects of deep trench application of organic fertilizer and microbial inoculants on soil quality and apple yield in rain-fed orchards.
Conducted a two-year field trial in rain-fed apple orchards on China's Loess Plateau with five treatments: control, organic fertilizer, and organic fertilizer with different microbial inoculants.
Measured soil properties, apple yield, and calculated soil quality index (SQI) based on physicochemical properties and biological activity.
Utilized partial least squares path modeling to assess the relationships between soil properties and apple yield.
The ODHP treatment increased organic carbon content by 18.68% and total nitrogen content by 16.94% in the top 40 cm of soil compared to the OD treatment.
ODHP treatment resulted in a 32.59% increase in apple yield compared to the OD treatment.
Soil quality index values increased by 34.00%–93.00% under organic fertilization compared to the control, with the highest improvement seen in ODHP.