Soil physical quality under planting and mulching systems in an orange grove

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of planting and mulching systems on the soil physical quality of a Typic Haplorthox (Rhodic Ferralsol), in a grove cultivated with orange cultivar Pera. The experiment was established in Paranavai, PR, Brazil, in a field dominated by the forage grass Brachiaria brizantha. The experiment had a randomized complete block split-split plot design, with 12 treatments and 4 replicates. The main plots were no-tillage, strip-tillage, and conventional tillage systems; in the split plots, systems with or without mulching in plant rows were evaluated; and in the split-split plots, the root stocks Citrus limonia Osb. and Citrus reshni Hort. ex Tan. were evaluated. Soil samples were collected in the tree rows and under and in-between the tractor wheel tracks for soil bulk density, macroporosity, and microporosity. Orange planting with no-tillage maintained the soil physical quality in the tree rows and under and in-between the wheel tracks. Conventional tillage was detrimental to the physical quality of the soil under the wheel tracks. Soil physical quality was favored by the lowest soil disturbance in the establishment of the grove, both under no-tillage and strip-tillage, and it was also favored by mulching of Brachiaria brizantha in the tree rows, after planting.