Soil fertility and pomelo yield influenced by soil conservation practices

Abstract Exchangeable cations and soil nutrients leach out/lost in the raised bed soils system through irrigation water rainwater. Cover crops or crop residue mulching are considered sustainable agricultural measures because they prevent degradation compaction increase ecological diversity. However, impact of these on quality fruit orchards Vietnamese Mekong Delta is not well studied. The present work aimed to assess effect cover (grass, pinto peanut) rice straw change chemical properties productivity pomelo. 3-year (2019–2021) field experiment was conducted at Phu Huu Commune, Chau Thanh District, Hau Giang Province, Vietnam. Four treatments, control (no-cover crop), grass crop, with (MRS), peanut were used. Soil samples collected from depth 0–20 20–40 cm for analyzing pH, total nitrogen (TN), phosphorus (TP), available (AP), organic matter (SOM). Results showed that MRS by significantly decreased acidity topsoil layer. fertility (TN, TP, AP, SOM) greatly improved after application mulched legume, thus improving pomelo yield. Further study required understand effects physical biological as nutrient uptake orchards.