Relacion Entre Propiedades Del Suelo Y El Efecto De Coberturas Vegetales, En Aguacate (persea Americana Mill.).

In 2007, Puerto Rico imported 64 percent of the avocado consumed, which could suggest the economic potential of increasing its production, although this must take into consideration several factors, among others, production costs. Avocado production in the island has been plagued by high incidence and severity of root rot disease associated with Phytophthora cinnamomi . This disease is exacerbated by the saturated soil conditions during the rainy season (July–October), high temperatures, and the soil cracking during the dry season which causes mechanical damage to the root system. Planting of leguminous cover crops around avocado trees has been suggested as a possible means of reducing the Phytophthora root rot problem. The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of cover crops on soil properties in two avocado orchards. In May 2006 two avocado orchards were established, one in Juana Diaz with avocado cultivar Semil 34/Semil 34 (rootstock/scion) and the other in Isabela with cultivar Gripina/Wilson Popenoe (rootstock/scion). In Juana Diaz, the dominant soil series was San Anton ( fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, isohyperthermic Cumulic Haplustolls) and the cover crops evaluated were Arachis pintoi Krapov. & W. C. Greg. Porvenir and Arachis glabrata Benth. TARS 17095. At Isabela the soil series was Coto (very-fine, kaolinitic, isohyperthermic Typic Eutrustox) and the cover crops were Arachis pintoi Krapov. & W. C. Greg. Porvenir and Desmodium heterophyllum (Willd) DC. CIAT 349. The cover crops were planted on May and June 2006 in Juana Diaz and Isabela, respectively, and were compared to a control (no cover crop coverage) in a completely randomized design with four replications. In Juana Diaz, after 21 months of cover crop establishment, the percentage of water stable soil aggregates was significantly different (p≤0.05) between the Arachis glabrata treatment (46.24%) and the control (22.36%). Significant differences in saturated soil hydraulic…