Abstract
Garden-orchard systems (GOS) consist in intercropping various vegetables with fruit trees. They are very promising to produce fruits and vegetables in sufficient quantity and of adequate quality while limiting environmental impacts. We assessed the effects of apple trees on the spatiotemporal variations of microclimatic conditions and soil properties, and their influence on the growth of two vegetables (radish and lettuce). We performed measurements on five vegetable beds situated at different distances from apple tree rows (from 1.5 to 5 m). Vegetable beds near the apple trees received on average 8% less radiation. Air temperature near the trees was on average 1.5 °C lower during daytime while air relative humidity was up to 5% higher. Apple trees improved the soil surface properties. Soil organic matter was up to 40% higher in the vegetable beds near the rows whereas soil bulk density was 16% lower, N mineralization was up to two times faster. Mineral N and bulk density were the primary limiting factors for the growth of radish while lettuce growth was mainly affected by microclimate. Our results provide a framework to define a spatial arrangement of GOS that optimize the ecosystem services of fruit trees and, therefore, the productivity of GOS.
Highlights
Agroforestry systems (AFS), i.e., the intercropping of woody species with annual crops, are among the most sustainable cropping systems to ensure high production through the tree-crop complementarity in terms of land and resources use [1,2]
Our study showed that apple trees create a specific microclimatic condition in their surroundings which decreases with distance from the rows
To better understand the dynamics of soil organic matter (SOM) biodegradation, the processes occurring in the apple tree rhizosphere will be investigated, especially the sensitivity of soil microorganisms to root exudates, which may induce significant variability in N mineralization
Summary
Agroforestry systems (AFS), i.e., the intercropping of woody species with annual crops, are among the most sustainable cropping systems to ensure high production through the tree-crop complementarity in terms of land and resources use [1,2]. Among AFS, garden-orchard systems (GOS), where vegetables are intercropped with fruit trees, could be very suitable to satisfy the growing demand for local and sustainable quality products [7]. Given all their agro-environmental interests [8], GOS are very promising to provide fruits and vegetables in sufficient quantity and of adequate quality on the market while limiting the degradation of soil and water resources. No scientific studies have been conducted to date on the characterization of the biophysical interactions existing between fruit trees and vegetables in GOS, and the quantification of their spatiotemporal variations
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