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Chinese Agricultural Science Bulletin ›› 2024, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (33): 102-110.doi: 10.11924/j.issn.1000-6850.casb2024-0236

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Effects of Grass Mulching on Soil Physicochemical Properties of Jujube Orchard

SONG Jinhao1(), HAO Wanyi1, JIANG Wenting1,2, CHEN Guoliang1,2()   

  1. 1 College of Life Sciences, Yan’an University, Yan’an, Shaanxi 716000
    2 Research and Development Centre of Ecological and Sustainable Application of Microbial Industry of Loess Plateau in Shaanxi Province, Yan’an, Shaanxi 716000
  • Received:2024-03-27 Revised:2024-08-18 Online:2024-11-25 Published:2024-11-23

Abstract:

This study investigated the effects of two types of grass covered under different mulching patterns on the soil physical and chemical properties in perennial jujube orchards in the Yan’an region, aiming to provide data support for land use and cultivation integrated jujube planting models. The research used a clean tillage group without any cover as the control (CK), set up two types of grass including G1 (Astragalus adsurgens) and G2 (Sophora alopecuroides), two mulching methods of C1 (whole grass chopped cover) and C2 (half grass chopped cover), and three mulching periods of T1 (30 days after covering), T2 (60 days after covering) and T3 (120 days after covering), totaling 13 treatments. The study examined the impact on soil pH, electrical conductivity, organic matter, available phosphorus, available potassium, ammonium nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen. The results showed that the Astragalus adsurgens × whole grass cover pattern significantly enhanced soil organic matter, available potassium, ammonium nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen content, with the highest levels of available potassium at 30 days after covering and the highest levels of organic matter, ammonium nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen at 120 days after covering. Under the Sophora alopecuroides × whole grass cover pattern, soil available phosphorus content was significantly increased, reaching its peak level at 30 days after covering. Comprehensive analysis, combined with principal component analysis, provided a comprehensive evaluation of the soil physical and chemical environmental indicators in Northern Shaanxi’s jujube orchards. The results indicated that the immediate planting of Astragalus adsurgens and Sophora alopecuroides had a significant improvement effect on the soil physical and chemical environment of the jujube orchards, with the whole grass cover pattern being the most effective, showing the best results between 90 to 120 days after covering.

Key words: jujube orchard, Astragalus adsurgens, Sophora alopecuroides, grass coverage, soil physicochemical properties, principal component analysis