Long-term Effects of Four Groundcover Management Systems in an Apple Orchard

Groundcover management systems (GMSs) are essential for fruit production, but very few long-term studies have evaluated orchard GMS sustainability. We evaluated four GMSs—pre-emergence soil-active herbicides (PreHerb), post-emergence herbicide (PostHerb), a turfgrass cover crop (Sod), and hardwood bark mulch (Mulch)—in an apple ( Malus domestica Borkh.) orchard over 16 years of continuous observation. There were no consistent long-term trends in fruit yields among GMSs, although during the first 5 years, yields were lower in trees on Sod. Tree growth was greater in PostHerb and Mulch than in Sod during the first 5 years, and during the next decade, trees in Mulch plots were consistently larger than in other GMSs. Total soil nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) content, C-to-N ratios, and essential plant nutrients were much greater in the Mulch soil after 16 years of treatments. Long-term responses of trees to groundcover vegetation indicated that apple trees respond adaptively to compensate for weed and grass competition. Year-round elimination of surface vegetation with residual soil active herbicides may be unnecessary or even detrimental for orchard productivity and soil fertility in established orchards. Post-emergence herbicides that reduce weed competition primarily during the summer months may offer an optimal combination of weed suppression and soil conservation.