Effect of mulching materials on the soil temperature, soil water potential, number and weight tubers of organic potatoes

The mulching with chopped grass (GM) and black textile mulch (BTM) were compared to non-mulching control variant (C) with mechanical cultivation in two regions of the Czech Republic. Especially in plots with BTM were first formed ridges and covered by the black polypropylene non-woven textile and then they were planting. The surface mulching of potatoes affected the soil temperature (higher about 0.2 – 1.6 °C than in C) and water potential of the soil (higher only by 8 kPa than in C). GM had a significant effect on the yield of ware potatoes. The final tuber yield was higher by 22.9 % on plots with GM in comparison with C. GM resulted in a significant increase of the number and weight of tuber fraction 56-60 mm and over 60 mm

GROWING OF THE ORGANIC POTATOES WITH USING OF THE MULCHING MATERIALS

Mulching which has become more popular lately is an important way of soil protection in the plant production. Mulching massively reduces soil erosion [DÖRING ET AL., 2005], virus vector in seed potatoes [DÖRING ET AL., 2006] and it may also act as a tool for the control of nitrogen losses by immobilization of post-harvest nitrate [DÖRING ET AL., 2005]. Mulch especially reduces water evaporation from soil and helps to maintain stable soil temperature [JI AND UNGER, 2001; KAR AND KUMAR, 2007]. For that reason, the cover of mulch influences soil moisture as well [BRANT ET AL., 2006]. Next, mulching has a positive effect on the weed density, which has been documented by results of some authors [DÖRING ET AL., 2005; JOHNSON ET AL., 2004; SINKEVIČIENE ET AL., 2009]. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the effect of different mulch materials (organic and plastic mulch) on yield and on some factors that influence potatoes production in potato growing region of the Czech Republic. The research was mainly focused on the effect of mulching on air temperature, air relative humidity and occurrence of the late blight

D3_5.Yearly reports of biodiversity data 2018_2019

Dynamic sod mulching and use of recycled amendments to increase biodiversity, resilience and sustainability of intensive organic fruit orchards and vineyard

Effect of grass mulch application on tubers size and yield of ware potatoes in organic farming

The aim of this experiment was to evaluate influence of mulching on the tuber yield and on the number of ware potatoes. In organic farming grass mulch for potatoes was used in 2008. For the experiments different ways of mulching (grass mulch after planting, grass mulch after second hoeing) were used and compared with bare soil (control variant). The results showed that grass mulching had positive effect on the yield of ware potatoes and some of the yield-forming components. The yield of ware potatoes was significantly higher by 9.3 t/ha in comparison with control variant. The highest number of ware potatoes was found out in the variant with grass mulch after planting

Prospect and importance of green mulching on the soil status of tropical tasar plantation fields in India

The soils of tropical tasar plantation fields in general are sloppy and are primarily deficient of nutrition due to top soil erosion and constant leaf productivity exploitation to rear tasar silk insect, Antheraea mylitta Drury. The rainfed field of Terminalia tomentosa (W&A) plantation has been evaluated for soil fortification with green mulching through legumes, Sun hemp (Crotalaria juncea), Daincha (Sesbania aculeata), Green gram (Vigna radiatus) and Black gram (Vigna mungo) during rainy season. The mulching has enhanced the water holding, moisture retention, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) and reduced the bulk density and pore space of soil. Among the legumes, Sun hemp has shown higher improvement of water holding (56.9%), moisture content (68.5 & 37.9%) at 30 and 45 cm depth, electrical conductivity (0.30 mhos/cm), bulk density (1.12g/ cm³), pore space (50.4%), organic carbon (0.61%), nitrogen (109 kg/ha) and potassium (254 kg/ha) of the soil, and could augment the leaf yield of tasar food plant with 24.8 MT/ha. The study infers the prospect and importance of green mulching in tasar food plantation in improving the physico chemical nature and fertility status of soil to attain optimal leaf yield in the T. tomentosa food plant

Organic Farming Technologies and Practices Followed by the Farmers

The study mainly focused on organic farming technologies and practices followed by the farmers for coconut, millets, sugarcane and turmeric. The study was conducted in Coimbatore, Erode and Dharampuri districts of Tamil Nadu. A sample of 100 organic farmers was the respondents for the present study. The data were collected from each respondent through personal interview method with the help of interview schedule. The data were analyzed using percentage analysis. The results revealed that, majority of the respondents followed seed treatment with Azospirillum, beejamrutha and panchakavya, application of jeevamruthum and panchakavya through drip irrigation, application of farm yard manure and insitu ploughing of green manure crops, mulching with crop leaf residues and weeds, spraying of agni astram to repel pests, post harvest technology like oil extraction and jaggary preparation, storage techniques like using neem and pungam leaves. The result of the present study shows that, the farmers have the inclination for adoption of organic production practices. Hence it may be concluded from the study that, there is an imperative need to raise the level of adoption of these organic farming practices in order to reduce the quantum of environmental hazards by inorganic farming

Abscission study during citrus fruit maturation in Corsica: unfavorable environmental conditions for fruit shedding

Citrus fruit development and ripening are complex processes involving physiological and biochemical changes that are under hormonal, nutritional and environmental control. One of the most evident phenomena in late maturation is shedding of ripe fruit. A previous study on sweet orange abscission supposed that fruit shedding was related to the increase of sugars content of pulp juice. To investigate this potential relationship between fruit abscission and internal maturity parameters we investigated the fruit maturity process of 10 mandarin x clementine hybrids and 9 commercial sweet orange varieties with different maturity time. Morphological and biochemical analyses (acidity, total soluble solids, fruit weight thickness of the flavedo, thickness of the peduncle and external color) were carried out on fruit sets of the different varieties during the maturation process, from December to June. The abscission initiation was evaluated by measuring the force required to detach the fruit of the peduncle. Analysis showed that under our local conditions, abscission was generally not expressed even though fruit maturation was evolving. Therefore, we suppose that even though the local conditions have an important effect, abscission of citrus fruit also results from environmental-genotype interactions. Moreover, evolution of abscission and fruit parameters are not correlated, suggesting the independence in the processing of maturation and abscission. (Résumé d'auteur

Reduzierung des Ascosporenpotentials von Venturia inaequlis durch Förderung der Fallaub-Zersetzung

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible enhancement of leaf decomposition by means of different nitrogen containing products or mulching of leaves and the resulting reduction of the ascopore potential of Venturia inaequalis. For each treatment 30 scabbed leaves of 'Jonagold' were placed in wire-mesh cages with or without fleece to avoid or allow activity of earthworms, respectively. The leaves were treated as follows: untreated as a control, spraying or addition of: urea (46% N), Siapton (organic liquid fertiliser, 7% N), horn meal (organic fertiliser, 10-14% N), Radivit (decomposition enhancer, 9% N) and slightly rotted manure (0,5% N). All treatments were adjusted to a similar amount of N per m2. In addition leaves in one treatment were mulched. The decomposition of leaves was strongly enhanced by mulching and use of Radivit in both years, irrespective of interference by earthworms. Application of urea enhanced decomposition of leaves only in the first year. In tendency, ascospore production was reduced by all treatments in comparison to the control. The lowest number of ascospores was obtained after mulching of leaves in both years. For all other treatments, the influence of the weather and application/distribution technique are discussed

Influence of grass mulch application on tubers size and yield of ware potatoes

The aim of the experiment was to investigate the effect of grass mulch and the term of its application on the yield and quality of potatoes and weed biomass under organic system. The experiment with 2 varieties of early potatoes (Finka and Katka), 2 row spacings (28 000 and 38 000 tubers per hectare) and 2 terms of grass mulch application (after planting and after second hoeing) was carried out in the Czech Republic in 2008. Results showed that the yield was influenced mostly by mulching (55.9 %), then by variety (39.2 %) and by growth structure (4.9 %). The highest yield was reached in the variant with grass mulch applicated after planting. The yield of this variant increased statistically about 9.3 t/ha in comparison with control variant (bare soil). Results of the weed control showed a positive effect of grass mulch on weed biomass, where the lowest weed biomass was found out in variant with grass mulch applicated after planting (weed biomass was lower by 67.6 % in comparison with the control variant - bare soil)