Abstract
To assess the effect of a range of organic mulch materials in perennial crops, trials were established in ‘Super Pride’ hop fields (both organic and conventional), a new planting of ‘Gewurztraminer’ wine grapes (organically grown), and a one year old olive grove. Hops: compost produced from hop waste was applied as a surface mulch to 4 vine plots at the rate of 70 t/ha in a newly established organic field and a wellestablished field at a conventional site. Mulched plots were compared with control plots in a randomised complete block design with 5 replicates per treatment. Mulch treatments had no effect on vine height. There were no significant differences between the mulched and control plots in hop percentage dry matter, percentage alpha acid, beta acid, or coltumulene, or ratio of acids. Soil bulk density was lower in the mulched plots in both systems. Mulch treatments showed higher available potassium, organic carbon and microbial biomass C. Grapes: three grades of mulch were compared with an untreated control. Mulch materials were a mature compost (AS4454) mulch composed of eucalypt bark, chicken manure, paper pulp and grape marc; a composted mulch of eucalypt bark mixed with chicken manure; and a non-composted mulch consisting of eucalypt bark. Mulches were applied to a depth of 20 cm along the vine row. Trial design was a randomised complete block with 9 vines per treatment. The increase in trunk diameter was highest in the mature compost mulch plots, as was the pruning weight after 12 months. Non-composted mulch plots showed the highest levels of organic carbon, while the composted mulch plots had the greatest number of earthworms. Both mature and composted mulch plots showed higher levels of available phosphorous and potassium than non-composted mulch or control plots. Olives: composted bark mulch was compared with an untreated control in a new olive grove planted directly into pasture. Mulch was applied to a depth of 10 cm around the base of each tree, covering a radius of 20 cm from the trunk, with 7 single tree plots per treatment. Tree growth was 35% higher in the mulched plots. There was no effect on soil bulk density, moisture, pH or EC. Soil temperature was higher in the mulched plots.
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Claims 14
Claim · model-written summary
Mulch treatments had no effect on hop vine height.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
t0“HOPS”
e0“Mulch treatments had no effect on vine height”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulched and control hop plots did not differ significantly in percentage dry matter, percentage alpha acid or beta acid.
Verbatim
e0“There were no significant differences between the mulched and control plots in hop percentage dry matter, percentage alpha acid, beta acid, or coltumulene, or ratio of acids”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulched and control hop plots did not differ significantly in coltumulene or in the ratio of acids.
Verbatim
e0“There were no significant differences between the mulched and control plots in hop percentage dry matter, percentage alpha acid, beta acid, or coltumulene, or ratio of acids”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil bulk density was lower in mulched hop plots in both the organic and conventional systems.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
t0“HOPS”
e0“Soil bulk density was lower in the mulched plots in both systems”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulch treatments in hops showed higher available potassium, organic carbon and microbial biomass C in the soil.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
t0“HOPS”
e0“Mulch treatments showed higher available potassium, organic carbon and microbial biomass C”
Claim · model-written summary
In grapes the increase in trunk diameter was highest with the mature compost mulch.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
t0“GRAPES”
e0“The increase in trunk diameter was highest in the mature compost mulch plots”
Claim · model-written summary
In grapes the pruning weight after 12 months was highest with the mature compost mulch.
- Taxon
- GRAPESt0
- Treatment
- mature compost mulche0
- Outcome
- pruning weighte0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Qualifier
- after 12 monthse0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
t0“GRAPES”
e0“The increase in trunk diameter was highest in the mature compost mulch plots, as was the pruning weight after 12 months”
Claim · model-written summary
In grapes the non-composted mulch plots had the highest soil organic carbon.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
t0“GRAPES”
e0“Non-composted mulch plots showed the highest levels of organic carbon”
Claim · model-written summary
In grapes the composted mulch plots had the greatest number of earthworms.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
t0“GRAPES”
e0“the composted mulch plots had the greatest number of earthworms”
Claim · model-written summary
In grapes mature and composted mulch plots had higher available phosphorous and potassium than non-composted mulch or control plots.
Verbatim
t0“GRAPES”
e0“Both mature and composted mulch plots showed higher levels of available phosphorous and potassium than non-composted mulch or control plots”
Claim · model-written summary
In olives tree growth was 35% higher in the mulched plots.
OleaNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“OLIVES”
e0“Tree growth was 35% higher in the mulched plots”
Claim · model-written summary
In olives composted bark mulch had no effect on soil bulk density or moisture.
- Treatment
- composted bark mulche1
- Outcome
- soil bulk densitye0
- Direction
- no effecte0
- Comparator
- untreated controle1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“OLIVES”
e0“There was no effect on soil bulk density, moisture, pH or EC”
e1“composted bark mulch was compared with an untreated control”
Claim · model-written summary
In olives composted bark mulch had no effect on soil pH or EC.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“OLIVES”
e0“There was no effect on soil bulk density, moisture, pH or EC”
e1“composted bark mulch was compared with an untreated control”
Claim · model-written summary
In olives soil temperature was higher in the mulched plots.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“OLIVES”
e0“Soil temperature was higher in the mulched plots”
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