Traditional and cover crop-derived mulches enhance soil ecosystem services in apple orchards

Organic mulches are a traditional method of groundcover management in temperate commercial orchards, now largely replaced by herbicides and synthetic fertilisers. As potential contribution to improving orchard sustainability, we hypothesised that the addition organic would: (H1) improve soil fertility lead greater tree growth yields; (H2) support larger more biologically active community organisms, assessed as increased respiration earthworm numbers biomass; (H3) increase leaf litter decomposition burial, potentially reducing risk apple scab disease ( Venturia inaequalis ). Cuttings from two legume-based cover crop mixtures grown alleyway spaces between rows mulch materials, straw compost, were trialled alongside bare business-as-usual control for years, using randomized complete block design conventionally managed ‘Gala’ UK. Compared control, compost significantly both carbon nitrogen over 50 %. The effectively suppressed weeds about 90 % moisture 5 Cover cuttings levels mass 1.7 1.8 times respectively double-rate ‘legume-grass’ treatment. Increasing quantity produced positive effects; cumulative can benefit several soil-derived ecosystem services. This study took place orchard, findings may therefore be applicable other row-grown perennial crops. • Mulches moisture, nitrogen, weed suppression. crops used cost-effective mulches. crop-derived abundance mass. biota biological activity. disease-harbouring litter.