Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
(a)
(b)
Fig. 3.5.
Nursery production of planting material is crucial for the successful
development of an orchard. Black plastic bags are frequently used (a). It is important
to ensure that the plants are not allowed to stay too long in the bag or they become
root-bound (b), with the roots growing around the outside of the medium against
the inside of the bag.
ASSOCIATED CROPS OR INTERCROPS
After or before planting the trees, an associate crop can be started, in order
to maximize the use of land and, hopefully, get extra income during the fi rst
years, which are the most dii cult economically. This could be any annual
crop, including vegetables or a short-cycle fruit crop such as pineapple, cocona
(
Solanum hyporrhodium
) and naranjilla (
Solanum quitoense
). In some areas
intercropping in orchards with vegetables, leguminous crops and cucurbits is a
common practice. In Mexico, fruit orchards have been observed with excellent
intercrops of beans (
Phaseolus vulgaris
),
watermelons (
Citrullus vulgaris
),
cantaloups (
Cucumis melo
var.
reticulatus
)
and chilli (
Capsicum annuum
).
Good
weed control is obtained under these intercropping systems.
In the second and third years, intercropping can be repeated, but the
soil should only be worked between rows at an increased distance from the
fruit trees each year. This reduction in cultivated distance is required to
avoid root damage, which can weaken the plants or become an entry point
for harmful organisms. It is normally recommended that after 3 or 4 years
no soil disturbance by heavy machinery should occur except for the pass of
mowers or brush cutters and the equipment for spraying and harvesting. An
alternative is to kill of the ground cover with herbicide and transplant the
intercrop directly without soil disturbance.
