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

Abstract

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