The use of the crop covers in Brazilian peach orchards is still not so spread, though there are several species of crop covers with the potential have the effect studied. This research presents the effects of the five plant species use for winter vegetal crop covers: Avena strigosa, Lathyrus sativus, Pisum sativum subesp. arvense, Raphanus sativus var. oleiferus, Lupinus angustifolius, four combinations among these species and the control treatments (native vegetation), with spontaneous vegetationon the vegetative development of "Maciel" peach tree under Capdeboscq rootstock. All of the crop covers evaluated adapted themselves to the soil and climate conditions of the south of "Rio Grande do Sul'. The crop covers, except the Raphanus sativus var. oleiferus, increased positively the phenological and vegetative development of peach trees; the Lupinus angustifolius also increased the phenological and vegetative development of plants.
Prunus persica; vegetative development; soil manure; orchard; crop cover
