The use of soil mulching is an alternative in the prevention of weeds in organic orchard, which exclude the use of herbicides. However, there are few studies in southern Brazil on the impact of soil mulching in the soil microbiological quality. In this sense, the purpose of this study was to evaluate in two different seasons the effect of different types of soil mulching in the attributes of microbial carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in a Typic Hapludox producing of organic apples in southern Brazil. The study was conducted at the Experimental Station of Embrapa in Vacaria, Rio Grande do Sul State, in a randomized block design. The mulchings were: pinus needle, wooden dust and black plastic compared to bare soil and weeds. Soil samples were collected in February (summer) and August (winter), 2006, with analysis microbial and chemical attributes related to carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. Organic mulching (pinus needle and wooden dust) promoted higher soil moisture and higher levels of Cmic, Nmic, Corg, greater ratio Cmic/Corg, Nmic/Ntotal and microbial C/N. Black plastic mulching and bare soil promoted higher temperature, nitrate, immobilized phosphorus in biomass and metabolic quotient. Based on this study and considering soil microbial quality the best mulching were the organics.
Microbial attributes; organic matter; organic orchard
