The spring cover crop mix was planted in late February and early March in both locations. This mix included Daikon radish, white clover, crimson clover, buckwheat, oats, and sunflower. Daikon radish germination was particularly good in both locations.
Dataloggers and soil moisture probes continued to record soil moisture every hour. A rain gauge will be installed at each site to record rainfall data. Preparations are underway for the next assessment of root growth via the mini-rhizotron tubes installed in both groves. Weed emergence in row-middles and tree-rows were collected in mid-March from North grove location. Weed emergence data in South grove location will be collected in mid-summer.
Yield and juice quality data was collected for the North grove location March 28-April 4 and for the South grove April 11-18. As treatments had only just begun, this yield and juice data will serve as baseline data for comparison with subsequent years of the project.
The summer cover crop mix is being planted at both locations in the next two weeks. This mix will include dove millet, buckwheat, brown top millet, and sunnhemp.
A postdoctoral research associate will be joining the project in July and a graduate student for Drs. Kadyampakeni and Kanissery will begin this summer. Dr. Wades graduate student will begin this fall.
The next collection of samples for soil and leaf measurements will occur this summer.