Mitigating Soil Phosphorus Leaching Risk and Improving Pear Production Through Planting and Mowing Ryegrass Mode
Excessive phosphorus (P) fertilization has led to high soil P accumulation in pear orchards across China, increasing the risk of P loss while limiting economic returns. Orchard grassing has been proposed as a strategy to optimize soil P content and reduce P loss; however, its limited economic benefi...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/6/1296 |
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| Summary: | Excessive phosphorus (P) fertilization has led to high soil P accumulation in pear orchards across China, increasing the risk of P loss while limiting economic returns. Orchard grassing has been proposed as a strategy to optimize soil P content and reduce P loss; however, its limited economic benefits have hindered widespread adoption. To address this, we developed a novel planting and mowing ryegrass (MF) system, integrating P loss mitigation with improved economic returns. A two-year field experiment was conducted in the Yangtze River Basin to assess the effects of this system on soil P fractions, P loss risk, and pear production. The results showed that soil available nitrogen (N), available potassium (K), and total P content were significantly lower in the MF treatment compared to natural grassing (NG) at different growth stages. Moreover, the MF treatment increased pear yield by 14.7–16.7% and reduced titratable acidity by 23.5–47.1%, with these improvements primarily driven by changes in phosphorus-related indicators (NaOH-Pi, NaHCO<sub>3</sub>-Pi, and intermediate P) across different years. Additionally, the reduction in NaHCO<sub>3</sub>-Pi in the MF treatment contributed to a decline in P leaching risk indicators, including Olsen-P and CaCl<sub>2</sub>-P. These findings highlight the potential of the MF system as a sustainable orchard management strategy, effectively optimizing soil P dynamics, mitigating P leaching risks, and enhancing pear yield and quality under high P conditions. |
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| ISSN: | 2073-4395 |