At about 45 minutes in your video, your Orchard has cover crops besides the almond trees. Instead of creating competition and pests problems, why not use wood chip mulch to increase mycorrhizal fungi without the problems with cover crops.
I think you referring to a slide that says "Solar Leakage"? That is actually not my orchard, but an orchard visited in CA. There are no cover crops in that picture. The issue with nut crops is complex. Wood chips in the tree row would end up getting swept out during harvest. Wood chips alone wont move any needle, and likely wont increase myco populations without a reduction in fungicides and herbicides. Cover crops can be planted in almonds to provide cover and a living root as many months, but eventually have to get fully terminated, and they do not add competition or pest issues, but would do the opposite and increase soil health properties and reduce pests. Not sure if that comes close to answering your question. The application of wood chips on a large scale is also not practical.
@@chuckschembre I think the jury is still out in terms of whether cover crops or wood chips create better mycorrhizal fungi. However, please have a look at the following: www.seattle.gov/documents/Departments/SPU/EnvironmentConservation/Landscaping/3AntieauWOODINSOIL.pdf Soilfoodwebs in woody plant ecosystems are dominated by fungi, many (most??) of which are mycorrhizal. The primary function of fungi appears to be that of wood decay: cellulolytic or lingo-cellulolyticTheir critical roles in building woody material through mycorrhizal associations, and destroying it through decomposition, allow fungal biomass in forest soil foodwebs to reach90% of the total-exceeding all other micro and meso-organisms combined (Barron 2003)
@@chuckschembre Hey Chuck, thanks for the lecture. What's your take on Bermuda grass as a cover for a fruit orchard? I live in the central valley of CA and this stuff grows like crazy in the warm season Recently ripped some out mechanically and sowed some clover, native wild flowers, and brassicas, but certain the Bermuda will eventually find its way back
Excellent lecture.
At about 45 minutes in your video, your Orchard has cover crops besides the almond trees. Instead of creating competition and pests problems, why not use wood chip mulch to increase mycorrhizal fungi without the problems with cover crops.
I think you referring to a slide that says "Solar Leakage"? That is actually not my orchard, but an orchard visited in CA. There are no cover crops in that picture. The issue with nut crops is complex. Wood chips in the tree row would end up getting swept out during harvest. Wood chips alone wont move any needle, and likely wont increase myco populations without a reduction in fungicides and herbicides. Cover crops can be planted in almonds to provide cover and a living root as many months, but eventually have to get fully terminated, and they do not add competition or pest issues, but would do the opposite and increase soil health properties and reduce pests. Not sure if that comes close to answering your question. The application of wood chips on a large scale is also not practical.
@@chuckschembre I think the jury is still out in terms of whether cover crops or wood chips create better mycorrhizal fungi. However, please have a look at the following:
www.seattle.gov/documents/Departments/SPU/EnvironmentConservation/Landscaping/3AntieauWOODINSOIL.pdf
Soilfoodwebs in woody plant ecosystems are dominated by fungi, many (most??) of which are mycorrhizal. The primary function of fungi appears to be that of wood decay: cellulolytic or lingo-cellulolyticTheir critical roles in building woody material through mycorrhizal associations, and destroying it through decomposition, allow fungal biomass in forest soil foodwebs to reach90% of the total-exceeding all other micro and meso-organisms combined (Barron 2003)
@@chuckschembre Hey Chuck, thanks for the lecture. What's your take on Bermuda grass as a cover for a fruit orchard? I live in the central valley of CA and this stuff grows like crazy in the warm season
Recently ripped some out mechanically and sowed some clover, native wild flowers, and brassicas, but certain the Bermuda will eventually find its way back