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

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.