scholarly journals Planting Method, Plastic Mulch, and Fumigation Influence Growth, Yield, and Root Structure of Watermelon

HortScience ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 1410-1414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel S. Egel ◽  
Ray Martyn ◽  
Chris Gunter

A 2-year field study was conducted to determine the influence of planting method, i.e., transplanting or direct seeding, black plastic mulch, and soil fumigation on the vine growth, yield, and root structure of diploid hybrid watermelon. The experiment was a split-plot design with fumigation as the main plot and there were four replications. Methyl bromide (337 L·ha−1) was applied to the soil, which was then tarped. Black plastic mulch, 0.61 m wide × 2 mil (Visqueen 4020™) was applied to appropriate rows. Vine growth was measured during the season and yield was determined by the number and weight of fruit from each treatment. After fruit harvest, plant roots were excavated so that root structure was maintained with minimal damage and roots were photographed. Root systems were scored for tap root dominance and overall root distribution. Direct-seeded watermelon had more vine growth and higher yields in both years than transplanted watermelon. The advantage of direct seeding was likely the result of the growth and root expansion that occurred for these plants while the transplants were still in the greenhouse. Direct-seeded plants also displayed greater tap root dominance in each year than transplanted watermelon. Roots of both direct-seeded plants and transplants had a greater range in size distribution in both years under plastic mulch than those grown on bare ground. In late-planted watermelon, direct-seeded plants had more favorable vine growth and yield without the aberrant roots systems produced by transplants.

HortScience ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 488b-488
Author(s):  
Robert Stubblefield ◽  
Robert Wiedenfeld

A field study was conducted in south Texas in the spring 1990 to determine the effects of ground cover, planting method and drip irrigation rates on cantaloupe growth, yield and quality. Transplanting vs. direct seeding enhanced early vine growth with earlier yields, although direct seeding later caught up resulting in comparable final cumulative yields. Black polyethylene mulch also improved earliness but at the loser irrigation rate total yields were reduced due to deflection of rainfall by the mulch. Irrigation at .1, .3, .5, .7 and .9 times pan evaporation had little effect on final cumulative yields with exception to the .1 and .3 rates. Melon sugar content was highest for transplants with direct seeded melons becoming comparable only at mid to final harvest. The combined practices of transplanting and black polyethylene mulch resulted in a 14 day earliness advantage over the treatments that were direct seeded on bare soil although final yields were unaffected. No appreciable increase in soil salinity were found as a result of drip irrigation usage.


HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 475a-475
Author(s):  
David T. Handley ◽  
Sheri I. Koller ◽  
James F. Dill

Three techniques to enhance the development and yield of `Earliqueen' muskmelon, including transplanting, plastic mulch, and rowcovers, were applied in all combinations to determine which practice or practices offered the most beneficial effects on early maturity, and total marketable yield. Using transplants (two true leaf stage) as opposed to direct seeding had the greatest effect on increasing early yield. Black plastic mulch also significantly increased early yield. Rowcovers did not provide an overall increase in early yield, although the highest early yield was achieved from the transplant/mulch/rowcover combination. Black plastic mulch had the greatest effect on total marketable yield. Transplanting also significantly increased total yield. A slight increase observed for rowcover treatments was not significant. The combination of transplanting/plastic mulch/rowcover produced the highest marketable yield of any treatment. Direct seeding combined with no mulch produced the lowest yields and the lowest percent of marketable fruit. Under the conditions of a prolonged, cool, cloudy spring, followed by a hot, dry summer, the use of transplants and black plastic mulch provided significant increases in marketable yield of `Earliqueen' muskmelons. Rowcovers did not provide significant yield effects, probably due to low light levels during the early growth period.


HortScience ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 478E-479
Author(s):  
John Caldwell ◽  
Maurice Ogutu

Greater plant diversity is associated with reduced insect pest pressure, but field-scale vegetable production systems incorporating plant diversity have been lacking. Cucumber was grown in 1998 and 1999 at the Virginia Tech Kentland experimental farm, by direct seeding or transplanting into rye/vetch mixture rolled to make a no-till mulch alternating with strips of vetch left to flower as a habitat for beneficial insects between cucumber rows, or direct-seeded into black plastic mulch between habitat strips or with bare soil between rows. Rye and hairy vetch were seeded at 56 kg·ha–1 each the preceding fall; only rye was planted in plots without habitats. A rippled coulter, cutting shank, and daisy wheels mounted on a tractor-drawn toolbar enabled a belt-driven seeder to seed cucumbers without pulling the no-till mulch. One hand weeding in cucumber rows at 3 weeks after planting (WAP) provided weed control equivalent to pre-emergence herbicide. At 3 WAP, no-till transplanted cucumbers had higher above-ground plant dry weights than no-till direct seeded cucumbers in both years, but, at 6 WAP, cucumber above-ground plant dry weights were equal (1999) or higher (1998) in direct seeded no-till than in transplanted no-till or black plastic mulch on bare soil. In 1999, Pennsylvania leatherwings, Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus DeG. (Coleoptera: Cantharidae), a cucumber beetle predator, had higher densities and cucumber beetles lower densities in no-till plots than in black plastic mulch plots, and bacterial wilt incidence was reduced in plots with habitat strips and no insecticide application compared to plots without habitat strips and four insecticide applications. Cumulative marketable yields in no-till were 59% higher in 1998 and 23% higher in 1999 compared to yields on black plastic mulch.


2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 168
Author(s):  
M. A. Chozin ◽  
Uang G. Kartika ◽  
Raisa Baharudin

<p>ABSTRACT</p><p>The objective of this study was to  determine the effect of  Arachis  pintoi planting  as bio-mulch on growth and yield of tomato and weed growth.  An experiment was conducted at Cikabayan, University Farm of IPB, from January to June 2010. The research was arranged  in a  randomized Complete Block Design with 3 replications. The results of this study showed  the g rowth and speed of coverage of  A. pintoi  in this experiment was relatively slow. The use of mulch improved the growth, yield components and production of tomatoes.  The best mulch was a plastic mulch.  The best planting period of A. pintoi as bio-mulch was 7 and 10 weeks before planting.</p><p>Key words: bio- mulch, growth, silver black plastic mulch, yield</p><p> </p><p>ABSTRAK</p><p>Penelitian  ini  bertujuan  untuk  mengetahui  pengaruh  penanaman  Arachis pintoi  sebagai  biomulsa dalam  menghambat  pertumbuhan  gulma  dan meningkatkan  pertumbuhan  dan  produksi  tanaman  tomat. Penelitian dilaksanakan di kebun percobaan Cikabayan- UF IPB, Darmaga Bogor dari Januari sampai Juni 2010.  Percobaan  menggunakan  Rancangan  Kelompok Lengkap  Teracak  (RKLT)  faktor  tunggal,  yaitu dengan  4  perlakuan  waktu tanam  A.  pintoi  dan  2  pembanding:  M0  (m onokultur  tanaman  tomat tanpa mulsa),  M1  (monukultur  tanaman  tomat  dengan  mulsa  plastik hitam perak),  M 2  ( 10  minggu  A.  pintoisebelum  tomat ditanam), M3 (7 minggu A. pintoi sebelum tomat ditanam), M4 ( 4 minggu A. pintoi sebelumtomat ditanam), dan M5 ( 1 minggu A. pintoi sebelum tomat ditanam ). Hasil percobaan menunjukkan bahwa persentase tumbuh dan kecepatan penutupan A. pintoi  relatif lambat. Tanaman tomat yang ditanam dengan biomulsa  A. pintoi 10 dan 7 minggu sebelum tanam menunjukkan persentase tumbuh dan pertumbuhan yang lebih baik dibandingkan perlakuan mulsa plastik hitam perak (MPHP)  maupun perlakuan tanpa mulsa. Perlakuan biomulsa A. pintoi 10 dan 7 minggu sebelum tanam (MSbT) serta perlakuan mulsa plastik hitam perak (MPHP) meningkatkan komponen pertumbuhan dan produksi buah tomat.</p><p>Kata kunci: biomulsa, pertumbuhan, mulsa plastik hitam perak, produksi</p>


HortScience ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 1246-1249 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.R. Andino ◽  
C.E. Motsenbocker

Colored plastic mulches were evaluated for their effect on the production of a triploid (`Honeyheart') and a diploid (`Sangria') watermelon cultivar during the spring growing season. Colored mulches affected cucumber beetle populations; the SRM-Red (Selective Reflective Mulch) and yellow plastic mulch plots had among the highest cucumber beetle populations recorded in both cultivars while the silver-reflective and the silver-on-black plastic mulches had among the lowest. In general, most mulched plots had longer vines than the bare-ground treatment, with few differences in vine length among treatments by 4 weeks. There were no differences among mulch treatments in first and total `Honeyheart' harvest while the IRT-100 (infrared transmitting; green), PST (photosynthetic reduced transmitting), and silver-on-black plastic mulches had the highest first `Sangria' harvest and among the highest total `Sangria' harvest. Plants in plastic mulch treatments had higher yields as a result of higher fruit number per area. Fruit weight, length, and diameter and total soluble solids for both cultivars were not affected by colored plastic mulch treatments.


AgriPeat ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (01) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Admin Journal

                                                                                                                                       ABSTRACTThis research was aimed to investigate the effect of mulch type and gandasil-B fertilizer on the growth and yield of chili pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) on inland peat soil. The method used in this research was two-factor Randomized Block Design with split plot arrangement and three replications. The main plot was the mulch type which consists of three treatments, namely: control, cogon grass and silver-black plastic mulch, and as sub plot was the dose of gandasil-B which consists of four 4 levels, namely: 0, 1, 2, and 3 g L-1 water. Results showed that the interaction between different types of mulch and gandasil-B fertilizer only had significant effect on the diameter of the stem, the number of productive branch, the number of fruit per plant, and the weight of fruit per plant. The utilization of silver-black plastic mulch and gandasil- B fertilizer at the concentration of 3 g L-1 water showed more number of productive branch (14.00 branches) and number of fruit (151.17 fruits) per plant and the weight of fruit (166.52 g) per plant was significantly higher.Keywords : Mulch, cogon grass, silver-black plastic, Gandasil-B, inland peat soil                                                                                                                                       ABSTRAKPenelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh jenis mulsa dan pupuk gandasil-B terhadap pertumbuhan dan hasil tanaman cabai rawit (Capsicum fruestescens L.) pada tanah gambut pedalaman. Percobaan ini menggunaakan Rancangan Acak Kelompok (RAK) disusun secara split plot dengan dua faktor perlakuan dan tiga ulangan. Sebagai petak utama, yaitu jenis mulsa terdiri dari tiga jenis, yaitu : kontrol, mulsa alang-alang dan mulsa plastik hitam perak. Sebagai anak petak adalah dosis pupuk Gandasil-B terdiri dari 4 taraf perlakuan, yaitu : 0, 1, 2 dan 3 g L-1 air. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa interaksi penggunaan jenis mulsa dengan pupuk gandasil-B hanya berpengaruh nyata terhadap diameter batang, jumlah cabang produktif, jumlah buah per tanaman dan berat buah per tanaman. Penggunaan mulsa plastik hitam perak dan pupuk gandasil-B 3 g L-1 air diperoleh jumlah cabang produktif (14.00 cabang) dan jumlah buah (151.17 buah) per tanaman) nyata lebih banyak dan berat buah (166.52 g) per tanaman nyata lebih tinggi.Kata kunci : Mulsa, alang-alang, plastik hitam perak, pupuk gandasil-B, gambut pedalaman


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-236
Author(s):  
Damte Balcha Gadana

Most farmers’ practices broadcast sowing methods and productivity is less. Soil fertility maintenance is a major concern in tropical Africa which needs to tackle soil fertility depletion as a fundamental constraint. Similarly, the traditional way of planting tef reduces the amount of grain production, promotes competition for inputs, and causes severe lodging. This paper aimed to review the interaction effects between seed sowing methods and different types of inorganic fertilizers on the growth and yield of teff. In Ethiopia, recent research indicates planting method (row planting and broadcasting) affects the yield and yield components of teff. The review indicates the yield components include heading and maturity, plant height, first growth rate, number of tiller and panicle, thousand seed weight, grain, straw, and total biomass yields and harvest index high in Method of Row sowing compared to broadcast in Ethiopia but Days to emergence and panicle length were more affected by broadcasting. In economical acceptance, Row sowing was found to be economically acceptable with more income from grain yield than broadcasting.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 1021-1033
Author(s):  
Nguyen Thi Loan ◽  
Tran Thi My Can

To study the effects of cover methods and nitrogen (N) levels on the growth and yield components of tomato Cv. Pear F1, field experiments with a 4x3 factorial design were conducted in the 2019 spring and winter seasons using a randomized complete block design with three replications. The cover methods included four treatments: bare soil (BS), black plastic mulch (BPM), transparent polypropylene row cover (RC), and a combination of BPM and RC (BPMRC) with the RC removed approximately 30 days after transplanting. Nitrogen (N) was applied at three levels (150, 180, and 210 kg N ha-1). Using BPM and RC generally led to an increased air temperature, air humidity, soil moisture, and soil temperature compared to the BS treatment. Higher N rates (180 and 210 kg N ha-1) did not result  in different tomato fruit sizes and fruit weights but positively increased fruit yield and quality (Brix values and fruit dry weight) as compared to the 150 kg N ha-1 addition. The cover methods positively affected the yield components and fruit yield of tomato as well as the fruit characteristics compared to the BS treatment. Using cover materials (BPM and RC) combined with a higher N application significantly increased the yield attributes and fruit yield. The highest fruit yield was achieved under the mulching treatment by black plastic (BPM treatment) combined with a 210 kg N ha-1 application, resulting in 50.90 tons ha-1 in the spring and 58.27 tons ha-1 in the winter.


HortScience ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 587b-587
Author(s):  
David A. Bender ◽  
Frank J. Dainello

Trenched beds covered with plastic mulch was used to capture and retain precipitation for dryland cantaloupe production. Two trenches were formed in the fall in raised beds. Plastic mulch was laid over the beds and slitted at ca. 1 meter intervals over the trenches. Soil was placed over the slits, conforming the plastic to the shape of the trenches and channeling precipitation into the beds. Cantaloupes were seeded in the spring and grown with no supplemental irrigation. Planting moisture was significantly greater under the capture system than in unmulched beds. Seedling emergence time was reduced from 18 to 6 days and vine growth in the first 6 weeks was almost doubled. Total and marketable yields were doubled and fruit size significantly increased when water was limiting. Elevated soil temperatures under the mulch enhanced plant growth and yield even when moisture was not limiting. Combining a moisture capture system with supplemental irrigation could allow commercial production of cucurbit crops under limited water conditions in semi-arid areas.


HortScience ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 848C-848
Author(s):  
John R. Duval* ◽  
Elizabeth Golden ◽  
Julia Reekie ◽  
Peter Hicklenton

Bare-root transplants received from high latitude nurseries for Florida production have limited root systems, very long petioles and wilt soon after planting. Further dessication occurs when leaves come in contact with black plastic mulch used in the annual production system. Conventional irrigation practices for the establishment of bare-root transplants of strawberry consist of overhead water application for at least 8 hours/day for 10-14 days after planting. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) have been used to modify the growth characteristics of many plants species. A split-block experiment was implemented at the GCREC-Dover, Dover Fla., to determine the effect of the use Prohexidione-Ca (PC) and IBA [(indole-3) butyric acid] on growth, yield and establishment of strawberry. Main blocks consisted of over head establishment irrigation for 4, 8, and 12 days, and sub-plots consisted of treatments of PC applied in the nursery at a rate of 62.5 mg·L-1 2, 4, or 6 weeks before digging, PC applied in the nursery at 31.25 mg·L-1 2 weeks before digging, a root dip of transplants in 100 mg·L-1 IBA just prior to transplanting. The experiment was conducted for four growing seasons. Data were recorded for marketable yield, number of marketable berries (>10g), and disease incidence. Significant differences were detected for duration of establishment irrigation and growth regulator treatment. No interaction was shown between establishment irrigation and growth regulator treatment.


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