EFFECT OF SOIL ORCHARD MANAGEMENT ON ROOT …fruitroot.entecra.it/files/Polverigiani--1-.pdf · A proper management of soil fertility is able to minimize the negative effects of replant

SERENA POLVERIGIANI

EFFECT OF SOIL ORCHARD MANAGEMENT ON ROOT

DEVELOPMENT

Università Politecnica delle Marche

Centro di ricerca per la frutticoltura (CRA-FRU),ROMA 5th March 2015

EFFECT OF SOIL ORCHARD MANAGEMENT ON ROOT DEVELOPMENT

• Advantages and critical points of cultural practices

intensification in modern orchards.

• Soil characteristics influencing the magnitude of root

stress.

• Sustainable agronomical practices improving rootability.


Increasing agriculture specialization:

- reduced alternative species

- frequent monoculture

Orchards of increasing plant density

Nurstech photo/California

Shorter replanting cycles

Shorter tree average lifespan

Dwarfing rootstocks

(Super) High-density orchards

Localized fertigation 1952

1975

1977

1977

‘60


Reduced soil niches exploration

Low root transmigration rate

Metabolites allocation pattern

shifted from root toward fruits

Dwarfing rootstocks

(Super) High-density orchards

Localized fertigation

Higher concentration of allelopatic compounds


Prompt response to variation on

input supply

or ?

Higher vulnerability to environmental stress

Reduced plant resilience

Reduced soil niches exploration

Precise control of the

vegetative/reproductive balance


REPLANT DISEASE

Replanted

Fallow

Sterilized

Complex symptomatology and etiology influenced by soil and climate conditions.

The efficacy of technical solutions is often equally

aleatory

A whole scale approach is needed aiming to

strength plant resilience


Apple blister bark on replant

soil. Valtellina 2014

Pseudomonas syringae is a weak pathogen able to develop in

plants already deprived of its resilience and with a physiological

status compromised

Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae has been indicated as

the responsible pathogen

APPLE BLISTER BARK

Reasons for a poor plant physiological status can be found

on soil-root interactions.

……and a wide set of other diseases related to plant growth in soil

characterized by low biodiversity.

Changes occurring on root system

morphology and physiology


DF Root dry weighta

Canopy/roota

Root mass that was

fibrousa

Site 4 0.021 <.0001 <.0001

Treatment 2 0.0001 0.007 <.0001

Site X Treatment 8 0.10 0.002 <.0001

Treatment Count Root dry weight

(g) Canopy/root

Root mass that was

fibrous (%)

Replanted 20 1.15± 0.11 b 8.05 ± 0.91 a 53.1 ± 1.18 b

Fallow 20 1.66 ± 0.17 a 5.99 ± 0.84 ab 55.2 ± 1.38 b

Sterilized 20 1.91± 0.12 a 5.25 ± 0.34 b 60.0 ± 1.43 a

Soil replant status

Replanted Sterilized Fallow

and root biomass

Case study 1

www.bio-incrop.org

DF Root dry weighta

Canopy/roota

Root mass that was

fibrousa

Site 4 0.021 <.0001 <.0001

Treatment 2 0.0001 0.007 <.0001

Site X Treatment 8 0.10 0.002 <.0001

Treatment Count Root dry weight

(g) Canopy/root

Root mass that was

fibrous (%)

Replanted 20 1.15± 0.11 b 8.05 ± 0.91 a 53.1 ± 1.18 b

Fallow 20 1.66 ± 0.17 a 5.99 ± 0.84 ab 55.2 ± 1.38 b

Sterilized 20 1.91± 0.12 a 5.25 ± 0.34 b 60.0 ± 1.43 a

Soil replant status

and root

biomass

Leife

rs

Lam

mer

Hai

degg

root

dry

weig

ht

(g)

0

1

2

3

KAD

Replant

Fallow

Sterilized

b

a a

Kra

mer

b

ab

a

a

a

a a

a

aa

a

a

In non-sterilized replant soil

plants developed poor root

system due to a limited biomass

allocation

non-uniform magnitude of the

effect of replant treatment

among sites

Case study 1

Polverigiani et al. 2014

Leife

rs

Hai

degg

Ele

ctr

oly

te leakage (

%)

0

10

20

30

40

KAD

b

a

ab

Kra

mer

Replant

Fallow

Sterilized

bb

a

Lam

mer

a

a

a

aa

a

a a

a

Soil replant status and

root membrane

damage

Case study 1


-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

PC

2 (

23.0

%)

-3

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

PC1 (43.9%)

Diameter

El. Leakage

SRL

Fibr/pioneer

Fibr/tot

Branching freq.

Fibr. wg

Canopy wg

Root wg

Case study 1


-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

PC

2 (

23.0

%)

-3

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

PC1 (43.9%)

Diameter

El. Leakage

SRL

Fibr/pioneer

Fibr/tot

Branching freq.

Fibr. wg

Canopy wg

Root wgReplant Fallow

Case study 1


The magnitude of the symptoms is influenced by sampling

site

-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

PC

2 (

23.0

%)

-3

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

PC1 (43.9%)

Diameter

El. Leakage

SRL

Fibr/pioneer

Fibr/tot

Branching freq.

Fibr. wg

Canopy wg

Root wg

Kramer

KAD Leifers

Lammer

Haidegg

Case study 1


Site Soil

texture pH

N tot

(%)

Corg

(mg/g)

DM

(%)

OM

(mg/g)

Conduct

(µS/cm)

BR

(µg gTS-1h-1)

Haidegg s.c.l. 5.78 0.42 51.08 75.86 87.85 142.2 1.822

Lammer s.l. 6.88 0.21 40.36 74.35 69.42 217.2 1.692

Leifers s.l. 7.74 0.25 32.92 73.58 56.63 129.7 2.341

KAD s.l. 6.80 0.11 17.15 87.04 29.50 71.0 0.137

Kramer c.l. 6.52 0.19 27.72 83.57 47.68 51.7 0.045

A proper management of soil fertility is able to minimize the

negative effects of replant disorders on root proliferation and

functionality.

Soil texture, Ntot, Corg and OM content and Basal Respiration are

indicators of soil physical, chemical and biological fertility.

Case study 1


Nutrient availability: nutrient

supply, mineralization/leaching,

crop nutrient budget, microbial

activity, pH,..

Nutrient interception: soil structure, soil strength, drainage,

water content, phytotoxic and allelopatic compounds

Nutrient absorption: plant physiological status (i.e.

transpiration for Ca uptake)

Ensure optimal trophism

N

N

P

N

P

N

P

Soil management goal


Localized solutions would hardly be effective.

Need for a systemic approach to plant-soil interaction

Water and nutrients management (doses and timing)

Crop rotation

Biostimulants

Biodynamic preparations

………..


Soil management : 4 treatments

Shallow tillage Ground cover

Estirpo manuale

Festuca spp (MoT) Multispecies (MSGC) ST or STC

Medicago sativa

Polygonum fagopyrum

Trifolium repens

Vicia villosa

Sinapis arvensis

Festuca spp

So

il c

ov

er (

%)

Fe

stu

ca

Fe

stu

ca

Me

dic

ag

o s

ativa

T

rifo

lium

re

p.

Po

lyg

on

um

fa

go

pyru

m

Ground cover composition


09-06-2010 23-06-2010 25-02-2011 31-05-2011

Root growth along the season

10 cm

30 cm

50 cm

20 cm

40 cm

0 cm


ORGANIC MATTER

DEGRADATION

LOW BIODIVERSITY

Biomass

Residues Toxines

SEMPLIFIED

REDUCTION

PROCESSES

BIOMASS

RESIDUES

DEGRADATION

PROCESS

Reduced biomass

Stable

humification

BIOMASS

RESIDUES

HIGH BIODIVERSITY

DEGRADATION

PROCESS

(Zucconi 1996)

Localized organic

matter supply

Nutrient availability: nutrient

supply, mineralization/leaching,

microbial activity, pH,..

Nutrient interception: soil structure, soil strength, drainage,

water content, phytotoxic and allelopatic compounds

Nutrient absorption: plant physiological status

Ensure optimal trophism Localized organic

matter supply


Thank you for your attention


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EFFECT OF SOIL ORCHARD MANAGEMENT ON ROOT …fruitroot.entecra.it/files/Polverigiani--1-.pdf · A proper management of soil fertility is able to minimize the negative effects of replant