Simulated Study on Effects of Ground Managements on Soil Water and Available Nutrients in Jujube Orchards

Soil erosion is a key factor affecting sustainable agriculture on Chinese Loess Plateau. A 2‐year study was conducted on jujube trees in a controlled study to compare effects of clean cultivation (CC) with jujube branch mulch (WJBM), strip white clover cover (SWC), strip shallow tillage (ST), jujube branch mulch under tree canopy + strip white clover cover (JBM + SWC) and jujube branch mulch under tree canopy + strip shallow tillage (JMB + ST). The study was on sloping soil (26·7%) in mesocosms (2·0 m × 0·8 m × 0·8 m) using a rainfall simulator. Runoff volume and sediment yield were significantly larger under CC than other treatments ( p < 0·05), and were least under WJBM. Water infiltration under CC was significantly less than other treatments ( p < 0·05), while it was the largest under WJBM. The available nitrogen ( AN ) and available phosphorus ( AP ) runoff loss under CC were significantly larger than others ( p < 0·05), and least under WJBM. No differences in soil AN , AP and water‐soluble organic carbon ( WSOC ) concentrations were detected among all treatments. The soil AN and WSOC concentration under all treatments decreased during the growing season and slightly increased during fallow, while AP concentrations fluctuated but decreased slowly. The WJBM was the best management in this sloping jujube orchard study.