The effects of ground cover management on fruit yield and quality: a meta-analysis
| Autor: | Linfa Fang, Yehua Yang, Xiaojun Shi, Yuting Zhang, Xiaozhong Wang, Xueliang Zhang, Yong Zhang |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
geography geography.geographical_feature_category Cover (telecommunications) Yield (finance) media_common.quotation_subject Soil Science 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences Agricultural engineering 01 natural sciences Sustainable agriculture 040103 agronomy & agriculture 0401 agriculture forestry and fisheries Environmental science Quality (business) Orchard Cover crop Agronomy and Crop Science Mulch Cove 010606 plant biology & botany media_common |
| Zdroj: | Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science. 68:1890-1902 |
| ISSN: | 1476-3567 0365-0340 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/03650340.2021.1937607 |
| Popis: | An important management strategy for the development of sustainable agriculture in orchards is the management of ground cover. However, there is a knowledge gap regarding the effects of ground cover on fruit yield and quality. We performed a meta-analysis of 580 observations collected from 116 peer-reviewed field studies, to assess the effects of ground cover on fruit yield and quality indicators. Overall, ground cover significantly increased fruit yield, soluble solid content, sugar content, and vitamin C content by 6.98%, 6.77%, 7.83%, and 14.59%, respectively, and significantly reduced fruit acidity by 10.63%. The effects of ground cover on fruit yield and quality were greater in subtropical regions and semi-humid, humid zone. These effects also mostly depended on ground cover types. Cover crops and mulch both significantly improved fruit quality. However, compared to clean tillage practice, legume cover crops substantially enhanced fruit yield while non-legume cover crops significantly decreased fruit yield. This effect was attributed to greater soil moisture and fertility with legume cover crops. Our analysis synthesized the scientific evidence on ground cover management to help orchard managers and policy makers improve orchard fruit yield and quality. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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