The effect of soil mulching on the sweet pepper yield quantity and quality

Badania przeprowadzono w latach 2007–2009. Doświadczenie założono w czterech powtórzeniach w układzie split–plot. Badano wpływ stosowania czarnych ściółek syntetycznych (folia polietylenowa, włóknina polipropylenowa i tkanina polipropylenowa) na plonowanie, długość owoców, grubość perykarpu oraz zawartość wybranych składników odżywczych w owocach dwóch odmian papryki słodkiej: ‘Denis F1’ i ‘King Arthur F1’. Rozsadę papryki na miejsce stałe wysadzano w połowie czerwca, w rozstawie 50 x 50 cm. Stwierdzono, że plonowanie papryki zależało od przebiegu warunków pogodowych i było zróżnicowanie w latach prowadzenia badań. Największe plony owoców zebrano z odmiany ‘Denis F1’ uprawianej na glebie ściółkowanej czarną folią polietylenową. Najdłuższe owoce zebrano z roślin ściółkowanych włókniną polipropylenową. Najgrubszy perykarp miały owoce odmiany ‘King Arthur F1 ’, którą uprawiano po zastosowaniu ściółkowana folią polietylenową. Ściółkowanie gleby sprzyjało gromadzeniu w owocach papryki kwasu L-askorbinowego oraz cukrów ogółem i redukujących. Wykazano, że ściółkowanie gleby przyczyniło się do obniżenia zawartości suchej masy w owocach badanych odmian papryki słodkiej.The research was conducted in the years 2007 –2009. The trial was set up as split – plot with four replication. Experience related to the impact of mulching – the use black synthetic mulches (polyethylene film, polypropylene fabric and polypropylene nonwoven) on the yield and fruit biometric features and the content of selected nutrients in the cultivation of two cultivars peppers: ‚Denis F1’ and ‚King Arthur F1’. Seedlings planted permanently in place in mid-June at a spacing of 50 to 50 cm. Harvesting were made gradually as of fruit ripening. Based on the of the obtained results it was found that the yield of peppers depended on the weather conditions and was variated in the years of experience. Higher yields fruits collected from the ‚Denis F1’ especially grown on leaf litter of black polyethylene film. The longest fruits were collected from plants mulched nonwoven polypropylene. Thicker pericarp had a variety of ‘King Arthur F1’ mulching with polyethylene film. Mulching the soil favored the accumulation of L-ascorbic acid, total and reducing sugars in the fruits of peppers.The results showed that all types of mulches have contributed to a reduction in dry matter content in fruits compared to the control object – non mulched

The effect of flat covers on the growth and yield of broad beans (Vicia faba ssp. Major)

The experiment was carried out in 2007-2009, in the central-eastern Poland. The investigated factors were kind of covers: the control without covering, perforated foil with 100 holes per 1m2 and polypropylene fibre weighing 17·g·m-2, and broad beans cultivars - ‘White Windsor’, ‘Bizon’ and ‘Bachus’. Broad bean seeds were sown at the beginning of the second decade of April, at 50 × 10 cm spacing. Directly after sowing the field was covered by covers, which were left on the plants for 3 weeks. After removing the covers the height of plants was measured. Broad bean was harvested at the stage of milk maturity of seeds. The height of broad bean plants and the number of pods per plant were determined prior to the harvest. During the harvest the weight of pods and the yield of fresh seeds were determined and productivity of seeds was calculated from the weight of pods. Biometric parameters of pods and seeds i.e. length of pods, the number of seeds per pod and length, width and thickness of seeds were measured. It was found that the broad bean covering contributed to increase in the height of plant and yield as well as improvement of the biometric parameters of pods and seeds compared to the control object without covering. The highest yield of pods and seeds was produced by ‘Bizon’ cv. Plants covered by polypropylene fibre yielded best. The seeds of grown cultivars were characterized by similar parameters. Polypropylene fibre covering favoured formation of pods and seeds in the pods but did not cause changes in the seed parameters

Effect of the date of planting seedlings and polypropylene fibre covering on the yield, nutritive value and quality of cv. Malaga F1 melon

Melon is a species of high nutritional value, valuable medicinal properties as well as taste properties which are increasingly appreciated by consumers. It is sensitive not only to frost but also to temperatures below 10°C, which cause physiological disorders. Adequate thermal conditions for this plant’s growth can be ensured by an appropriately late planting of seedlings. However, a late planting date does not guarantee a high yield of good quality fruit. Earlier planting of seedlings and improved growth conditions can be achieved through the use of flat covers. The effect of different planting dates of seedlings (15th and 25th of May and 4th of June) and the time when polypropylene fiber covers were removed (4 and 8 weeks after the planting of seedlings, before fruit harvest and control without covering) on the yield quality and selected nutritive value components of melon fruits was investigated. The experiment was conducted in 2008-2010, in central-eastern Poland (51°53′N, 22°27′E). Fruits from plants planted on 15th of May were characterized by the highest yield and weight of marketable fruits, the highest content of dry matter and total sugars, as well as the highest flesh thickness, but the lowest flesh firmness. However, the planting date had no influence on the content of monosaccharides, ascorbic acid and iron or on the acidity of melon flesh. Higher yields were obtained from the covered plants, however the duration of covering had no significant effect on the yield. Fruits from plants covered for 8 weeks or until harvest were characterized by thick flesh and higher weight as compared to ones harvested from plants covered for 4 weeks and uncovered. Covering had no influence on the content of investigated components of the nutritive value of melon fruits