Effect of planting and mowing cover crops as livestock feed on soil quality and pear production

Abstract

IntroductionThe increasing demand for animal-products has led to an increasing demand for livestock feed. Using cover crop as green manure in orchards is an effective measure to improve fruit yield and quality. However, the effect of mowing cover forage crops as livestock feed on soil quality and crop production is unclear.MethodTherefore, a 4-year field experiment, which included two treatments, was conducted in pear orchards in Luniao County, China: natural grass (NG) and planting and mowing forage crop ryegrass as livestock feed (MF).ResultsUnder MF treatment, most soil nutrient content, especially alkalihydrolysable N (AN), total phosphate (TP), available phosphate (AP), and microbial biomass phosphate (MBP), had decreased significantly (P<0.05), while β-D-glucosidase (BG, C-cycle enzyme) and soil C limitation at 10–20 cm depth and P limitation at subsoil (20–40 cm) was increased. In addition, the soil bacterial community component in topsoil (0–10 cm and 10–20 cm) and fungal community component in topsoil and subsoil were changed in the MF treatment. Network analysis showed that MF treatment had a lower edge number in topsoil but the community edge numbers increased from 12794 in NG to 13676 in MF in subsoil. The average weight degree of the three soil layers in MF treatment were reduced, but the modularity had increased than that in NG. For crop production, MF treatment was 1.39 times higher in pear yield and titratable acids (AC) reduced from 0.19% to 0.13% compared with NG. These changes were more associated with the indicators at the subsoil, especially for TP, AN, pH, and F-NMDS1 (non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) axis 1 of fungi).DiscussionThese results provide data support for the feasibility of planting and mowing forage crops as livestock feed on orchards as well as a new idea for the integration of crop and livestock.

Effects of different tillage and fertilizer on soil quality under wheat‐maize rotation in the North China Plain

“…The nexus between crop yield and SQI within the wheat‐maize planting system was strikingly apparent, underscoring the potent interplay between agricultural productivity and soil health. These findings resonated harmoniously with corroborative studies, such as those by Duddigan et al (2023), Fu et al (2022), and Zhang et al (2020), thus reinforcing the overarching impact of soil quality on crop yields. Furthermore, a coherent narrative emerges as the present research aligns seamlessly with antecedent investigations that denoted the region's soil quality as attaining a commendable moderate to upper echelon (Man et al, 2021; L. Wang et al, 2017).…”

Drive soil nitrogen transformation and improve crop nitrogen absorption and utilization - a review of green manure applications

“…Soil and plant enzymes, especially GS and nitrate reductase, play a vital role in improving crop nutrient transport, marking grain protein synthesis ( Li T. Y. et al., 2021 ). Green manure boosts soil enzyme activities related to nitrogen absorption and use, as well as these enzymes in leaves, aiding grain protein formation and nutrient content ( Fu et al., 2022 ). Nitrogen from decomposed green manures in soil forms a significant part of the nitrogen uptake in primary crops.…”

Planting and mowing cover crops as livestock feed to synergistically optimize soil properties, economic profit, and environmental burden on pear orchards in the Yangtze River Basin

“…The fruit and soil samples were processed on the same day in July 2021. A soil sample at 0-40 cm soil depth was collected from each tree, which was a mix of the three soil replicates within the same plots, similar to Fu et al 20 The soil was air-dried to determine the soil properties according to the method used by Bao. 23 The soil pH was measured using a Delta 320 pH meter (Mettler-Toledo Instruments Co., Shanghai, China) with a soil:water ratio of 1:5.…”

“…The Yangtze River Basin, one of the major pear districts, produces more than 80% of early ripening pears and 20% of the total pear yield in China. 20 Moreover, the climate in this area is warm and has a long frost-free period, making it suitable for grass growth. 21 Zhang et al 22 indicated that China's Yangtze River Basin region is rich in germplasm, with over 3000 natural herbage resources.…”