Perennial multi-species cover crop systems in orchards

Abstract

Nitrogen management on the field is of great importance for both the plant grower and the environment. The application of appropriate amounts of nitrogen fertilization in a culture is crucial in order to give to the plants the necessary nutrients and also protect the environment. The provision of nitrogen fertilization by biological means implies in many cases the use of cover crops. Two different species of cover crops widely used in peach orchards, vetch (Vicia sativa) and clover (Trifolium), were sown in pots in an experiment conducted in Perrotis College greenhouse. Half of the seeds used were inoculated with soil bacteria Rhizobium for the evaluation of their effect on the nutritional status of the cover crop plants, as those bacteria have the ability to use atmospheric nitrogen and store it in nodules formed on the roots as inorganic nitrogen for future use by the plant. The treatment of vetch seeds with Rhizobium bacteria had as a result the production of plants with significantly higher height, root height, dry root weight and significantly lower plant and root fresh and dry biomass. The treatment of clover seeds with the same nitrogen - fixing bacteria had as a result the production of significantly higher plant height. The two species found to differ significantly in plant and root biomass.