Effects of Cover Crops on Soil Chemical Properties and Biota in a Pear Orchard

Abstract

The use of cover crops has a beneficial effect on sustainable soil management in pear orchards. We aimed to compare changes in soil chemical properties and biota with the use of different cover crops. We tested the effects of five cover plants, including hairy vetch, orchard grass, rattail fescue, rye, and perennial ryegrass. Use of different cover crops had a minimal impact on soil chemical properties through three year experiments. The aboveground biomass was greatest with the use of rye. The potential amounts of returnable N and P were highest when leguminous hairy vetch was used as a cover plant. Changes in the composition of the microbial community were investigated by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis. Microbial PLFAs were highest with the use of rattail fescue and lowest with the use of hairy vetch. Minimal changes in the abundances of nematodes and microarthropods suggested that there was no bottom-up control in the soil ecosystem. The results also show that increases in aboveground biomass and nutrient content with the use of cover crops may not promote the abundance of soil organisms.