Effects of Different Mulches on Soil Properties of Hilly Orchard and Chestnut Seedling Growth

Tian Shoule; Sun Xiaoli; Shen Guangning

doi:10.14083/j.issn.1001-4942.2017.11.006

Abstract：This study researched the effects of different mulches on soil environment of barren hilly orchard and chestnut seedling growth to offer a scientific reference for choosing suitable mulching modes during the young seedling growth.The main soil ecological factors,such as temperature,water content,soil bulk density,soil enzyme activity,soil microorganisms,and characteristics of chestnut seedling growth were analyzed fully in different mulching treatments of black film,black plastic cloth,felt,white film,and clean tillage (as control).The results showed that all of the four mulches could increase the temperature of 0 cm soil layer in great degree,and white film mulching was the most obvious in raising 10 ～30 cm soil layer temperature.The temperature of 10 ～ 30 cm soil layer was the lowest in felt mulching with the minimum variation,so it was the most suitable for the chestnut root growth.All the mulches were beneficial to enhance the soil water content.Black film and white film were remarkable in increasing water content of 0 ～ 20 cm soil layer,and felt mulching was the most favorable in increasing 20 ～30 cm soil layer water content.Meanwhile,white film could led water transportation from the deep layer to the shallow layer.All the mulches could keep soil loose by reducing 0 ～ 30 cm soil bulk density.All the mulches were unhelpful to the turnover of soil organic carbon and mineralization of soil organic phosphorus because of the lack of increasing sucrose invertase activity and acid phosphatase activity.Black film,felt and white film could promote the protease activity,and only white film could promote the urease activity.The number of soil microorganisms rose in the treatments of black plastic cloth,felt and white film,while decreased in black film treatment.The number of bacteria and actinomycete increased more sensibly in felt treatment by 2.2 times and 37.0％ respectively compared with clean tillage.Only white film could add the number of fungi without significant level.All the four mulches were helpful in improving the lateral root length and seedling rate,while not beneficial to induce more lateral root number.Felt mulching could promote the root elongation and aboveground growth sharply,increase the seedling biomass,and boost the seedling rate significantly as well,so it would be the most appropriate method for the chestnut seedling growth.