Soil management of irrigated young peach trees in the Goulburn Valley, Victoria

Abstract

A trial on soil management of irrigated young peach trees at Tatura Horticultural Research Station included four cultivated, one bare surface, and three straw-mulched treatments. Measurements of butt circumferences and pruning weights over the four pre-cropping years show that the most vigorous trees grew under straw. Within a range of cultivated treatments, vigour of trees depended very much on soil management before the trial; for example, trees grew much faster on land previously under lucerne, than trees that grew on old cultivated land. Trees under bare surface were intermediate. Although the trial consisted of replanted trees, we found no replant problem.