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Orchard Floor Management Influence on Summer Annual Weeds and Young Peach Tree Performance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Robert D. Belding ,
Bradley A. Majek ,
Gail R. W. Lokaj ,
Jeffrey Hammerstedt  and
Albert O. Ayeni
Robert D. Belding*
Affiliation:
Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Rutgers University, 121 Northville Road, Bridgeton, NJ 08302
Bradley A. Majek
Affiliation:
Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Rutgers University, 121 Northville Road, Bridgeton, NJ 08302
Gail R. W. Lokaj
Affiliation:
Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Rutgers University, 121 Northville Road, Bridgeton, NJ 08302
Jeffrey Hammerstedt
Affiliation:
Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Rutgers University, 121 Northville Road, Bridgeton, NJ 08302
Albert O. Ayeni
Affiliation:
Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Rutgers University, 121 Northville Road, Bridgeton, NJ 08302
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: belding@aesop.rutgers.edu
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Abstract

This study compared the effect of weed control and orchard floor management (OFMA) options including organic mulch on summer annual weed interference in a newly established peach orchard. Weed interference where no preemergence (PRE) herbicides were applied, including vole damage, caused 29% peach tree mortality, reduced tree trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA) 62% by the fourth year of orchard establishment, and reduced fruit yield and fruit number in 1999 by 73 and 75%, respectively, but had no effect on fruit size. Compared with a no-till or conventionally tilled orchard floor, the population of grassy weeds within the tree row was greater in killed perennial ryegrass sod (PRS) plus hard fescue residue mulch treatments but was less in killed PRS plus tall fescue residue mulch treatments. Among the no-PRE treatments, the tree row broadleaf weed populations were suppressed in killed PRS with or without the addition of fescue residue mulch to the tree row when compared with the no-till or conventionally tilled orchard floor treatments. PRE herbicide treatments strongly affected peach fruit yield and TCSA but not average fruit size. There was no effect among the killed PRS, with or without hard or tall fescue residue mulch treatments, on peach fruit yield, TCSA, or average fruit size when compared with the no-till or conventionally tilled orchard floor treatment options. All treatments with herbicide had higher yields in 1999 than those without herbicides.

Keywords

Hard fescue, Festuca longifolia var. Reliantperennial ryegrass, Lolium perenne L.tall fescue, Festuca arundinaceae Schreb. var. Kentucky-31vole, Microtus sp.peach, Prunus persica (L.) Batsch var. CandorDrive roworchard floor managementsummer annual weedstree rowOFMA, orchard floor managementPRE, preemergencePRS, perennial ryegrass sodSAW, summer annual weedTCSA, trunk cross-sectional area
Type
Research
Information
Weed Technology , Volume 18 , Issue 2 , June 2004 , pp. 215 - 222
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

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References

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