A three-year research study (2000–2002) was carried out in a young apple orchard originally founded on typical podzolic soil in 1997. The following methods for treating the soil among the rows of trees were considered: herbicide fallow maintained with glifosat; mulching with black polyethylene foil; mulching with a layer of wheat straw with a thickness of about 15 cm and mechanical fallow maintained by means of mechanical hoeing. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of the various methods applied in treating the soil in the young apple orchard on the content of the mineral nitrogen forms, i.e. N-NH₄⁺ and N-NO₃^- within the soil various methods of soil treatment applied in the young apple orchard on the content of mineral nitrogen forms, i.e. N-NH₄⁺ and N-NO₃^- in the soil. It was shown that the method of treating the soil was a decisive factor in influencing the content of the mineral nitrogen forms in the soil. The soil maintained as herbicidal or mechanical fallow contained significantly more N-NH₄⁺ and N-NO₃^- than did the soil covered with the mulch. The biochemical reactions catalysed by enzymes were, to a high extent, decisive for the content of the mineral nitrogen forms in the soil.

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