Managing living mulch (cover crops) to improve soil health (including nutrient cycling) and encourage natural enemies in orchard crops

在果园果树上使用活覆盖物正受到越来越多的关注。通过将生物保护(为主要天敌提供避难所)、碳封存、微生物驱动的养分循环(碳/氮)和整体土壤健康结合在一起，活的地膜有可能显著改善以前的杂草管理。然而，如何最大限度地发挥这些覆盖作物的潜在效益，同时将管理它们所需的努力降至最低，目前尚不清楚。

The use of living mulch in orchard fruit crops is receiving increasing attention. Living mulch has the potential to improve previous weed management significantly by incorporating conservation biocontrol (providing refuges for key natural enemies), carbon sequestration, microbial-driven nutrient cycling (carbon/nitrogen), and overall soil health. However, how to maximize the potential benefits of these cover crops while minimising the efforts required to manage them is not yet clear.