Plastic Biodegradable Mulches Reduce Weeds and Promote Crop Growth in Day-neutral Strawberry in Western Washington

Day-neutral strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa) is typically grown in plasticulture production systems that use black polyethylene (PE) mulch for weed management and promotion of crop growth and yield. The objectives of this research were to evaluate several commercial plastic and paper biodegradable mulch (BDM) products [Bio360, Experimental Prototype (Exp. Prototype), and WeedGuardPlus] in comparison with standard black PE mulch and bare ground cultivation in day-neutral strawberry grown in an annual system in northwestern Washington. Mulch performance [as percent visual cover (PVC)], weed suppression, marketable yield, plant biomass, and fruit quality were evaluated in ‘Albion’ and ‘Seascape’ strawberry grown in 2014 and 2015. PVC measured at the end of the production season was lowest for the Exp. Prototype (8%) in 2014 and was greatest for Bio360 (90%), WeedGuardPlus (90%), and PE (98%). In 2015, PVC at the end of the production season was again lowest for Exp. Prototype (62%), followed by WeedGuardPlus (64%), Bio360 (93%), and PE mulch (97%). Overall, weed pressure was higher in 2015 relative to 2014 and was greatest in the bare ground treatment in both years of the study. By the end of the 2015 season, weed cover in the bare ground treatment was 95%, followed by WeedGuardPlus (50%), Exp. Prototype (34%), PE (25%), and Bio360 (15%). Yield showed year and cultivar effects and was higher in mulched treatments. Plant biomass showed varying effects; root biomass was lowest in ‘Seascape’ in 2015 under the bare ground treatment and greatest under Bio360, which was similar to PE mulch and WeedGuardPlus. Leaf biomass was lowest in the bare ground treatment and highest in mulched treatments (except in 2015, when leaf biomass was intermediate for plants grown with WeedGuardPlus). Crown biomass showed a similar trend and was overall greater for plants grown in mulched treatments except for Bio360 in 2014, which was the same as the bare ground treatment. Overall, fruit quality was maintained among strawberry grown with BDMs, with soluble solids concentration (SSC, %) and titratable acidity (TA) being the only variables to show treatment effects. SCC tended to be lower in fruit from bare ground plots. TA was different for ‘Seascape’ in 2015 with fruit from bare ground and Exp. Prototype treatments having higher TA than the PE treatment. This study demonstrates that BDMs can be comparable to PE mulch in terms of performance and impacts on crop productivity in day-neutral strawberry, suggesting that BDMs could be a viable alternative to PE mulch for strawberry growers in the Pacific Northwest.

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Colored Plastic Mulches Influence Cucumber Beetle Populations, Vine Growth, and Yield of Watermelon

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.39.6.1246 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 39 (6) ◽

pp. 1246-1249 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

J.R. Andino ◽

C.E. Motsenbocker

Keyword(s):

Growing Season ◽

Fruit Weight ◽

Soluble Solids ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

Bare Ground ◽

Plastic Mulch ◽

Ground Treatment ◽

Vine Growth ◽

Cucumber Beetle ◽

Black Plastic

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.

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Yield and fruit quality response of sweet pepper to organic and mineral fertilization

Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems ◽

10.1017/s1742170507001792 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 22 (3) ◽

pp. 233-238 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

F.M. del Amor

Keyword(s):

Organic Farming ◽

Fruit Quality ◽

Nitrate Concentration ◽

Sweet Pepper ◽

Quality Parameters ◽

Soluble Solids ◽

Fresh Weight ◽

Mineral Fertilization ◽

Marketable Yield ◽

Crop Cycle

AbstractSweet pepper plants were grown in a greenhouse under three different cultivation methods (organic, integrated and conventional farming). During the crop cycle, plant growth and especially yield and fruit quality parameters were monitored to determine the effects of the different fertilization strategies. Plant fresh weight and total leaf fresh weight were progressively reduced, relative to the other treatments, in the organic treatment compared with the conventional, and at the end of the crop cycle these parameters were reduced by 32.6 and 35% respectively. This reduction in growth was directly correlated with plant nitrate concentration and, at the end of the study, nitrate concentration was reduced almost completely in the organic treatment. Despite the important effect on growth, no significant differences in total marketable yield were observed between conventional and organic farming, although integrated farming showed the highest yield in the extra and first class fruit categories. Organic farming increased antioxidant activity but reduced both chlorophylls and β-carotene. Fruit firmness, pericarp thickness, pH and total soluble solids content showed higher values with the organic method, but these differences were not significant with respect to the conventional method. Our results show the advantages of the organic fertilization, from both environmental and economic perspectives, if proper dosage is added to the crop and the demonstrated buffer capacity of these plants, with respect to maintaining yield under nutrient depletion at later stages of development, is taken into account.

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QUALITY EVALUATION OF CANTALOUPES FROM AHPID-INFESTED PLANTS

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.27.6.652b ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 27 (6) ◽

pp. 652b-652

Author(s):

P.M. Perkins-Veazie ◽

J.K. Collins ◽

N. Maness ◽

B. Cartwright

Keyword(s):

Fruit Quality ◽

Titratable Acidity ◽

Soluble Solids ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

Flesh Quality ◽

Solids Concentration ◽

Melon Aphid ◽

Soluble Solids Concentration ◽

Aphid Populations

High populations of melon aphid (aphis gossypii) reduce cantaloupe plant growth and yield; effects on subsequent fruit quality are unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate fruit quality from plants with high and low aphid populations. Up to 50% of melons from plants having high aphid populations were unmarketable due to surface sooty mold. Melons from plants with high or low aphid populations, but not cultivars, were similar in flesh quality. The internal color of `Perlita' and `Sweet Surprise' was a more yellow hue while that of `TAM Uvalde' was more orange. `Sweet Surprise' melons were lower in percent soluble solids concentration and titratable acidity, but were higher in mg fructose/ml juice compared to the other cultivars. A trained taste panel of 30 people evaluated melons from 2 cultivars showing little damage from melon aphid infestations and from 2 cultivars exhibiting high damage. All melons had similar taste qualities with acceptable sweetness, flavor, odor and texture. These results show that high aphid populations deleteriously affect cosmetic appearance, but not flesh quality, of melons.

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Fertilizer Substitutions in Hydroponically Grown Greenhouse Tomatoes

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech.9.1.59 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 59-65 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

A.P. Papadopoulos ◽

S. Pararajasingham ◽

X. Hao

Keyword(s):

Fruit Quality ◽

Total Yield ◽

Growth Yield ◽

Fruit Weight ◽

Crop Growth ◽

Partial Substitution ◽

Marketable Yield ◽

Nutrient Film Technique ◽

Marketable Fruit ◽

Crop Growth Stage

Experiments were carried out to evaluate two salts, K2SO4 and NaCl, as materials to supplement the electrical conductivity (EC) of the basic nutrient solution in nutrient film technique (NFT). The effects of these materials on the growth, yield and fruit quality of greenhouse tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) grown by NFT were quantified. These effects were tested by increasing the recirculating solution EC from a base value of 1500 μS·cm-1 to that suitable for the crop growth stage with normal feed (macronutrients), 0.38 m (0.53 lb/gal) K2SO4 or 1.14 m (0.55 lb/gal) NaCl, at a common pH of 6.2. In 1995 and 1996, there were no significant effects of the treatments on crop growth. In 1995, the early marketable yield was significantly lower when K2SO4 was used but the yield at the end of the season did not differ among the treatments. Furthermore, with K2SO4, the proportion of grade #1 fruit in early total yield was lower than in the control, while, fruit biomass content was higher than in the NaCl treatment. In 1996, the cumulative marketable fruit weight was unaffected by the treatments. A trend toward high number of large grade fruit occurred with the NaCl treatment. The pH and EC of the fruit homogenate were favorably affected by the NaCl treatment. Adding K2SO4 or NaCl in partial substitution of macronutrients in the recirculating solution may have a role in NFT systems in not only reducing environmental pollution (from nitrates and phosphates) and fertilizer costs, but also in improving fruit quality and, therefore, profit margins.

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Comparison of Weed Suppression and Mandarin Fruit Yield and Quality Obtained with Organic Mulches, Synthetic Mulches, Cultivation, and Glyphosate

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.43.3.795 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 43 (3) ◽

pp. 795-799 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

H.F. Abouziena ◽

O.M. Hafez ◽

I.M. El-Metwally ◽

S.D. Sharma ◽

M. Singh

Keyword(s):

Rice Straw ◽

Fruit Quality ◽

Weed Management ◽

Crop Production ◽

Fruit Yield ◽

Weed Suppression ◽

Soluble Solids ◽

Residual Effects ◽

Plastic Mulch ◽

Straw Mulch

Organic crop production, whether for export or local consumption, is increasing to avoid the residual effects of synthetic herbicides in foods, soil, and water, toxicity to other nontarget organisms, and herbicide-resistant weed populations. Organic farmers consistently ranked weed management as one of their most important production problems. Therefore, a 2-year study was conducted under 15-year-old mandarin trees to compare the effects of rice straw mulch, cattail mulch, black plastic mulch, hand hoeing, cultivation, glyphosate, and unweeded control treatments on weed control, fruit yield, and fruit quality. The greatest control (94%–100%) of weeds occurred with the plastic mulch (200 or 150 μm) and three mulch layers of rice straw or cattail. Covering soil with cattail or rice straw mulch (two layers) gave 85% to 98% control of weeds. Uncontrolled weeds in the weedy control caused significant reduction in yield and fruit quality and decreased the yield/tree by 62% compared with hand hoe treatment. Plastic mulches of 200 and 150 μm, cattail (Cyprus articulatus L.) mulch (two or three layers) and two mulch layers of rice (Oryza sativa L.) straw treatments significantly increased the fruit yield/tree by 24%, 18%, 20%, 11%, and 12% more than cultivation treatment, respectively, without significant differences among these superior treatments. Soil mulching with three layers of rice straw, cultivation, glyphosate, and 80-μm plastic mulch treatments caused a significant reduction in weed density and weed biomass, but gave lower yield than superior treatments. Total soluble solids of fruits was unaffected by any of the weed management strategies, whereas values of total acidity and vitamin C were significantly lower in the unwedded control than most weeded treatments. These results demonstrate that two layers of cattail or rice straw mulch could be used effectively for controlling weeds in citrus groves. Their effectiveness in controlling weeds may increase their use in agriculture systems with a concomitant decrease in the need for synthetic herbicides. Further studies are needed to evaluate their side effects on beneficial organisms, diseases, and insects.

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Scion and Rootstock Differently Influence Growth, Yield and Quality Characteristics of Cherry Tomato

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants9121725 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (12) ◽

pp. 1725

Author(s):

Rosario Paolo Mauro ◽

Michele Agnello ◽

Andrea Onofri ◽

Cherubino Leonardi ◽

Francesco Giuffrida

Keyword(s):

Plant Biomass ◽

Growth Yield ◽

Dilution Effect ◽

Shape Index ◽

Soluble Solids ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

Cherry Tomato ◽

Environmental Variance ◽

Grafting From ◽

Induced Changes

Grafting is a valuable tool for managing problems of tomato soil-borne pathogens and pests, but often generates unpredictable effects on crop yield and product quality. To observe these rootstocks-induced changes, experimental designs including many rootstock-scion combinations are required. To this end, a greenhouse experiment was conducted on 63 graft combinations, involving seven cherry tomato scions grouped in large, medium and small-fruited, and eight rootstocks with different genetic backgrounds (crosses between Solanum lycopersicum and S. habrochaites or S. peruvianum or S. pimpinellifolium, plus an intraspecific hybrid), using ungrafted controls. The response of the graft partners was firstly analyzed individually using the environmental variance (σ2E), then by grouping them by classes. When analyzed individually, the scion genotype influenced fruit L*, b*, shape index, total soluble solids (TSS) and its ratio with tritatable acidity (TSS/TA), whereas plant growth and yield were unpredictable. After clustering the graft partners, some of these responses were attributable to the imposed classes. The S. habrochaites-derived hybrids maximized plant biomass, unlike the S. pimpinellifolium ones. Both classes reduced fruit biomass in small- and medium-fruited scions (by 11 and 14%, respectively). The S. habrochaites and S. peruvianum hybrids reduced a* and TSS, whereas promoted TA. L-ascorbic acid was reduced by grafting (from −23 to −45%), in the S. pimpinellifolium group too, indicating, even in low vigor rootstocks, a dilution effect worsening this nutraceutical trait of tomatoes.

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Yield and Nutritional Quality of Vesuvian Piennolo Tomato PDO as Affected by Farming System and Biostimulant Application

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy9090505 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (9) ◽

pp. 505 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Gianluca Caruso ◽

Stefania De Pascale ◽

Eugenio Cozzolino ◽

Antonio Cuciniello ◽

Vincenzo Cenvinzo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ascorbic Acid ◽

Organic Acids ◽

Plant Biomass ◽

Protein Hydrolysate ◽

Tomato Fruit ◽

Farming System ◽

Fruit Yield ◽

Soluble Solids ◽

Marketable Yield ◽

Area Index

Scientific investigations are being increasingly devoted to biostimulant effects on vegetable yield and quality, with the perspective of sustainable crop management. Two farming systems (conventional or organic) in factorial combination with two biostimulant treatments (tropical plant extract (PE); legume-derived protein hydrolysate (PH)) plus a non-treated control were compared in terms of tomato fruit yield, yield components, mineral composition, functional and nutritional indicators. PE- and PH-based biostimulants resulted in higher plant biomass, PH even in higher leaf area index, compared to non-treated control. Marketable yield was not significantly affected by farming system. PH and PE gave higher yield than non-treated control. PH treatment led to higher fruit number than the control, whereas PE incurred significant increase in yield only under organic farming. The mean fruit weight attained the highest value upon PE application under conventional management. Colour component a* (redness) was higher with the conventional system compared to the organic one, whereas an opposite trend was shown by the organic acids malate, oxalate and isocitrate. Irrespective of the farming system, the soluble solids, fruit brightness (L*) and redness as well as the target organic acids malate, oxalate, citrate and isocitrate were significantly higher than untreated plants by 10.1%, 16.1%, 19.8%, 18.9%, 12.1%, 13.5% and 26.8%, respectively, with no significant differences between the PH- and PE-based biostimulants. Higher lipophilic activity and total ascorbic acid concentration but lower lycopene were recorded under organic management. PE and PH application resulted in higher total phenol and ascorbic acid as well as in lycopene content, and lipophilic antioxidant activity than the non-treated control. Biostimulants proved to be an effective sustainable tool for enhancing tomato fruit yield and functional quality both under conventional and organic vegetable systems.

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Effects of Trichoderma harzianum on the yield and fruit quality of tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum) grown in an unheated greenhouse

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1071/ea04003 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 46 (1) ◽

pp. 131 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

U. Bal ◽

S. Altintas

Keyword(s):

Fruit Quality ◽

Trichoderma Harzianum ◽

Root Zone ◽

Total Yield ◽

Titratable Acidity ◽

Fruit Weight ◽

Soluble Solids ◽

Marketable Yield ◽

Growing Media ◽

Growing Period

Trichoderma harzianum was applied to seedling growing media (a peat and soil-based mixture or greenhouse soil) at the time of sowing, at transplanting to vials and at planting. The factorial experiment using 2 seedling growing media, 2 cultivars and 4 dosages of T. harzianum at 0 (control), 4 g/m2, 10 g/m2 and 24 g/m2 showed that the Trichoderma dosage had no significant effect on the yield or fruit quality. None of the 3 factor interactions between the criteria studied, that is, total yield, marketable yield, early yield, individual fruit weight, total soluble solids and titratable acidity, were significant except for fruit diameter. The 3 factor combination of Peat × Belleveu F1 × 10 g/m2 resulted in the highest total yield, marketable yield and early yield with 1552, 1373 and 681 g/plant, respectively. The interaction between media and cultivars was significant for all the yield characteristics studied. However, the main effect of T. harzianum on early yield was the highest at 4 g/m2, producing 527 g/plant in comparison to the control with 374 g/plant. It was, therefore, hypothesised that the positive effect of T. harzianum, observed in the early yield, may be extended to the whole growing period by further applications, that is, by periodical renewal of the T. harzianum population at the root zone.

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Managing tomato vine decline with soil amendments and transplant treatments: fruit yield, quality, and plant-associated microbial communities.

Canadian Journal of Plant Science ◽

10.1139/cjps-2021-0098 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Laura L. Van Eerd ◽

Yangxue Zhou ◽

Amy L Turnbull ◽

David Johnston-Monje ◽

George Lazarovits ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fruit Quality ◽

Untreated Control ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Total Yield ◽

Organic Amendments ◽

Fruit Yield ◽

Soluble Solids ◽

Marketable Yield ◽

Root Pathogens ◽

Vine Decline

Tomato vine decline (TVD) disease complex results in fruit yield loss, but what soil management strategies might mitigate it? In commercial fields with a history of TVD, five approaches (soil organic amendments and transplant treatments) were evaluated for their impact on fruit yield, fruit quality and microbial abundance or diversity at four site-years. One site-year had very high TVD pressure and high variability with no yield differences, thus efforts focused on the remaining site-years. Marketable yield was not different among treatments but numerically followed a trend similar to total yield. Amending soil with poultry manure delayed maturity (i.e., increased proportion of green fruit) and had the greatest total yield increases of 17.2%, congruent with decreased abundance of root pathogens (Verticillium dahliae, Rhizopicnis vagum). Microbial DNA fingerprinting data of rhizospheres, roots and/or stems suggested treatments did not significantly shift the total diversity fungal nor bacterial populations, but the aforementioned pathogen loads were reduced with the application of organic amendments relative to the untreated control. While drenching tomato transplants with pseudomonad culture increased their presence in roots, pathogen load was not reduced relative to the untreated control. Overall, these results show that soil organic amendments were able to improve tomato total yield in two of four site-years without reducing fruit quality (i.e., soluble solids, pH, colour), perhaps, in part, due to their ability to suppress specific root pathogens in commercial fields.

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Growth and Yield of Six Medicinal Herbs in Response to Mulch Type

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.39.4.779c ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 39 (4) ◽

pp. 779C-779

Author(s):

Jeanine M. Davis* ◽

George B. Cox

Keyword(s):

Weed Control ◽

Echinacea Purpurea ◽

Medicinal Herbs ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

Bare Ground ◽

Plastic Mulch ◽

Echinacea Angustifolia ◽

Ground Treatment ◽

Growing Seasons ◽

Black Plastic

Weeds are a major concern in the production of many medicinal herbs. Weeds can interfere with the growth of the herb, reducing yields of foliage, flowers, and roots. The presence of weeds in the harvested herb can lessen the value of the herb or render it unmarketable. Weed control on medicinal herbs is difficult because there are few herbicides cleared for use and many herbs are organically grown. In this study, we examined the use of white and black plastic mulches to control weeds in the production of six medicinal herbs in the northern piedmont region of North Carolina. The herbs were grown for 2 years on raised beds with drip-irrigation. The beds were left bare or covered with black plastic mulch or white plastic mulch. The herbs grown were Arnica chamissonis, Echinacea angustifolia, Echinacea purpurea, Leonurus cardiaca, Scutellaria lateriflora, and Spilanthes oleracea. Transplants were field set in May and June. Depending on the particular herb, foliage, and flowers were harvested during both growing seasons and roots were harvested at the end of the second season. Both plastic mulches provided excellent weed control compared to the bare ground treatment. A. chamissonis flower yields were reduced when plants were grown with either plastic mulch. Growth and yield of E. angustifolia, L. cardiaca, and S. lateriflora were unaffected by any mulch treatment. In contrast, total season yields of E. purpurea tops (stems, leaves, and flowers) and roots were higher with both plastic mulches than with the bare ground treatment. Root yields of S. oleracea were higher with the bare ground treatment than with either mulch, but top yields were unaffected by treatment.

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