The soil in its constant dynamism It requires conditions that allow multiple processes to take place simultaneously, providing the appropriate environment for the development of the orchard. Therefore, leaving it abandoned when the harvest ends will prevent its recovery and optimize preparation for a new crop cycle.
Post-harvest soil conditioning in cherry orchards allows:
- Increased soil bioactivity (structure, CEC, drainage)
- Greater water retention capacity (irrigation or rain)
- Removing surface seals
- Promote the movement and washing of salts during the winter
- Optimize the thermal condition of the soil, providing a better environment for roots and microorganisms.
- Better conditions for sprouting and vegetative growth
- Stagger applications throughout the crop cycle.
Soil is the most important resource in agriculture given the multiplicity of functions it performs, among which the following stand out: supporting the plants, containing and exchanging with the crop the nutrients it needs, and being the water reservoir from which the plants obtain their water requirements. In cherry trees, conditioning the soil during post-harvest and/or winter recess allows correcting the limiting factors of the productive expression of the orchard at a physical, chemical, and biological level.
One of the most effective and sustainable practices to improve the soil is the periodic application of high-quality humic substances, as its positive effects have been consistently demonstrated over time. From the point of view of the hydraulic properties of the soil, organic matter directly impacts porosity, moisture retention and aeration capacity, the latter being a key factor in achieving good root growth. Organic matter in the soil acts as a glue or cementing agent, which allows the different mineral particles that make up the soil to be joined and maintained, such as clay, sand and silt; these unions form aggregates of particles and the spaces that form between them are nothing other than the pores of the soil, through which water and air flow. These pores constitute a network of channels of different sizes and capacities, thanks to which it is possible to achieve the circulation of water and air, and they also allow the retention of water over time, ensuring a reservoir that can be available to plants. This pore volume also facilitates root exploration and growth, keeps the soil spongy and promotes gas exchange. The result of this physicochemical modification carried out in advance of the profile ensures that the cherry orchard awakens in spring under optimal conditions to express its potential and therefore obtain higher yields.
From the perspective of efficient water use, its availability for irrigation is always scarce and critical, so post-harvest soil conditioning must also be a fundamental part of any strategy for cherry producers that aims to improve their management. In this sense, the periodic incorporation of organic matter must be considered as a key management of any production system.
Another limitation in some cherry orchards is the formation of surface seals on the soil that prevent water infiltration, causing runoff episodes either due to rain or irrigation. The incorporation of quality humic substances helps improve the speed of soil infiltration, preventing surface runoff.
It is for all the above mentioned that Early soil conditioning should always be considered when thinking about establishing sustainable production systems.
AM Ecological is a leader in Chile in the development and use of products based on humic substances, thanks to the close collaboration with the company Humintech, which exploits the Leonardita deposits located in Germany; this material exhibits the higher levels of measured oxidation and bioactivity in the soil compared to other sources, which has transformed these products into benchmarks in their use segments.
The benefits of using tools like Pow Humus® to condition soils in already established plantations, or Perl Humus® As a long-term alternative to perpetuate and improve the conditions of a newly planted soil (applied in the planting hole), they have been tested and proven in multiple field experiences and commercial treatments developed in Chile and other countries, even during several growing seasons. Added to these are tools such as Biohealth®BS, a product that combines the indisputable power of German humic extract with the biostimulant activity of algae extract Ascophyllum nodosum, plus the protective action of roots provided by the microorganism Bacillus subtilis, the effect that can be achieved with this triple action in poor soils, with low natural fertility or with a history of pathogens being unsurpassed.
Considering this type of amendment in modern agriculture will not only bring short-term benefits, measured as productivity or quality of the final product, but will also allow us to preserve and enhance the qualities of the soils that are currently used for production, a fact that must be kept in mind when we understand that it is a finite and increasingly scarce resource.
