Table 1: Conventional (CON) and organic (ORG) orchard floor management treatments applied in a
‘Cripp’s Pink’/M7 apple trial orchard.
Treatment
Work row
Tree row
Tree dormant
Tree active
(Drip line to drip line)
T1 (CON)
Weed cover
Cover mown, natural
die-back in summer
Chemical weed control
+ inorganic N
T2 (CON)
Soil tillage +
cover crop
Cover crop, chemical
weed control in spring
Chemical weed control
+ inorganic N
T3 (ORG)
Straw mulch.
Hand weeded
Straw mulch
Hand weeded
(Compost + mulch)
Hand weeded
T4 (ORG)
Soil tillage +
cover crop
Cover crop, mown,
natural die-back in
summer
(Compost + mulch) +
compost tea. Hand
weeded
T5 (ORG)
Weed cover
Cover mown, natural
die-back in summer
(Compost + mulch).
Hand weeded
The apple orchard at Overberg Research farm in Elgin during spring. Soil surface treatments were applied
in the tree and work rows. Mulch clearly visible at the forefront.