Growth and yield of plum trees in response to in-row orchard floor management
Research was conducted in 2009-2015 on Valjevka plum trees (Prunus domestica L.) that were grafted onto Myrobalan
seedlings (Prunus cerasifera Ehrh. var. divaricata Ledeb.). Trees were planted in the spring of 2008. From 2009 the following methods
of soil cultivation under tree canopies were introduced: spraying with foliar herbicides; mulching with organic waste, i.e. straw with
compost; mechanical soil cultivation with the use of rotary cultivators and hoe; weed mowing. On the control plots with limited
weeding, the weeds growing around tree trunks were pulled several times a year. From 2010 to 2015, highest total yield of plums was
produced on plots weeded with herbicides and it was substantially higher than on the mulched plots. The method of soil cultivation had
no influence on the area of cross-section of the tree trunks or the total soluble solids of the fruit, and the mean weight of the fruit was
noticeably higher on the mowed plots than the control plots and plots cultivated mechanically. Strong trees of Valjevka plum grafted on
cherry plum proved tolerant to weeds.
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