Background Developing and utilizing the eroded poor land of Benggang to plant fruit trees is one of the main modes of mountain development in the southern red soil area, but it has also become a major source of soil erosion. In order to investigate the improvement effect of vegetation cover measures on the soil of orchard terrace wall, we selected a test area in Ganxian district of Ganzhou city to compare and analyze the physicochemical properties of the soil under different vegetation cover measures, with a view to providing theoretical and practical bases for the rational development and utilization of Benggang.

Methods The soil samples of ladder wall of navel orange orchard were taken in Ganxian district, Jiangxi province, four treatments such as natural restored Paspalum wettsteinii coverage, artificial restored grass coverage, artificial restored coconut fiber blanket coverage and control check were set up, and soil physicochemical properties were measured indoors, and the soil mechanical composition, cation exchange, nutrient contents and aggregate distribution characteristics were comparatively analyzed under the different vegetation cover measures. The differences in soil physicochemical properties under different vegetation cover measures was explored.

Results 1) Different vegetation cover measures enhanced soil clay content and cation exchange, and the natural restored P. wettsteinii coverage was the most effective, with the artificial restored coconut fiber blanket coverage increasing soil clay mass fraction and cation exchange by 92.28% and 25.17%, respectively, compared with the control check. 2) Different vegetation cover measures could improve soil nutrient contents, but they were all at a low level, and the artificial restored coconut fiber blanket coverage are the highest. 3) The natural restored P. wettsteinii coverage and the artificial restored coconut fiber blanket coverage both increased soil water-stable aggregate content, average mass diameter of aggregates, and reduced the rate of soil aggregate destruction, while the artificial restored grass coverage was the opposite. In summary, among different vegetation coverage measures, the natural restored P. wettsteinii coverage has the best effect on improving the physical and chemical properties of the soil. Under the artificial restoration mode, the artificial restored coconut fiber blanket coverage was significantly higher than that of grass coverage.

Conclusions Coconut fiber blanket coverage can quickly enhance the soil nutrient contents of the terrace wall and improve the soil structure, which is an effective soil and water conservation measure and should be emphasized in the erosion control and vegetation restoration of the orchard in the southern red loam hilly area.