scholarly journals The Effects of Plastic Mulch Systems on Soil Temperature and Moisture in Central Ontario

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 162-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kayla Snyder ◽  
Amanda Grant ◽  
Christopher Murray ◽  
Bryon Wolff
Keyword(s):  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Negative Correlation ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Black Films ◽  
Mulch Films ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Canada Data ◽  
Soil Temperature And Moisture

The impact of polyolefin-based agricultural mulch films (including clear, black, and white-on-black films) on soil temperature and moisture content was studied, using a bare plot as a control, over a 4-month period in central Ontario, Canada. Data indicate a negative correlation between the change in soil temperature under the films relative to bare soil and the absolute value of bare soil temperature. Additionally, a negative correlation between the effect of films on soil moisture and the moisture level of bare soil was indicated. All mulch films demonstrated qualitatively similar ability to insulate the soil from extremes in both temperature and moisture, suggesting a potentially reduced need for irrigation and protecting against early frost, high temperatures, overwatering, and drought.

Fresh market sweet corn production with clear and wavelength selective soil mulch films

2007 ◽  
Vol 87 (3) ◽  
pp. 559-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Q. Zhang ◽  
C. S. Tan ◽  
J. Warner
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Sweet Corn ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Fresh Market ◽  
Marketable Yield ◽  
Loamy Sand Soil ◽  
Mulch Films ◽  
Soil Temperature And Moisture

Earliness of fresh market sweet corn (Zea mays L.) is important to increasing profitability and maintaining market occupancy. Maturity of fresh market sweet corn may be advanced by the use of plastic soil mulch films. In 2000 and 2001, the effects of clear (CMF) and wavelength selective (WLSMF) mulch films on soil temperature and moisture and the performance of fresh market sweet corn with and without N fertilization were evaluated in a Granby loamy sand soil in southwest Ontario. Both mulch films increased soil temperature and moisture compared with bare soil. Soil temperatures were 1.8°C higher at 5 cm and 1.6°C higher at 15 cm soil depth under CMF than WLSMF averaged over the growing season in two years. Both mulches increased soil moisture levels relative to bare soil, but less increase occurred under CMF than WLSMF. Both CMF and WLSMF advanced sweet corn maturity by 6-7 d relative to the bare soil. Compared with bare soil, marketable yields increased by 25 to 63% without added N and by 72 to 114% with added N under CMF. Under WLSMF, the corresponding increases in marketable yields were 97 to 98% without added N and 120 to 200% with added N. While WLSMF was superior to CMF for increasing fresh market sweet corn yields in southwestern Ontario, the relative economic advantage of each mulch type needs to be studied. Key words: Marketable yield, nitrogen, soil cover, soil moisture, soil temperature

scholarly journals Insulative effect of plastic mulch systems and comparison between the effects of different plant types

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 317-324
Author(s):  
Kayla Snyder ◽  
Christopher Murray ◽  
Bryon Wolff
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Root Zone Temperature ◽  
Tomato Plants ◽  
Black Film ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Mulch Film ◽  
Mulch Films ◽  
Zone Temperature

AbstractTo address agricultural needs of the future, a better understanding of plastic mulch film effects on soil temperature and moisture is required. The effects of different plant type and mulch combinations were studied over a 3.5-month period to better grasp the consequence of mulch on root zone temperature (RZT) and moisture. Measurements of (RZT) and soil moisture for tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), pepper (Capsicum annuum) and carrot (Daucus carota) grown using polyolefin mulch films (black and white-on-black) were conducted in Ontario using a plot without mulch as a control. Black mulch films used in combination with pepper and carrot plants caused similar RZTs relative to uncovered soil, but black mulch film in combination with tomato plants caused a reduction in RZT relative to soil without mulch that increased as plants grew and provided more shade. White-on-black mulch film used in combination with tomatoes, peppers or carrots led to a reduction in RZT relative to soil without mulch that became greater than the temperature of soil without mulch. This insulative capability was similarly observed for black mulch films used with tomato plants. Apart from white-on-black film used in combination with tomatoes, all mulch film and plant combinations demonstrated an ability to stabilize soil moisture relative to soil without mulch. RZT and soil moisture were generally stabilized with mulch film, but some differences were seen among different plant types.

Influence of pesticides, soil temperature and moisture on entomopathogenic nematodes from southern Benin and control of underground termite nest populations

Nematology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. 1057-1069 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugues Baimey ◽  
Lionel Zadji ◽  
Leonard Afouda ◽  
Maurice Moens ◽  
Wilfrida Decraemer
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Entomopathogenic Nematodes ◽  
Galleria Mellonella ◽  
Macrotermes Bellicosus ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Termite Nest ◽  
Southern Benin ◽  
Soil Temperature And Moisture

The influence of three pesticides on the viability and infectivity of four Beninese isolates of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN), Heterorhabditis indica Ayogbe1, H. sonorensis Azohoue2, H. sonorensis Ze3, and Steinernema sp. Bembereke, was determined. The impact of both soil temperature and soil moisture on the virulence of these EPN to Trinervitermes occidentalis was investigated in laboratory assays. The effect of EPN-infected Galleria mellonella larvae on underground populations of Macrotermes bellicosus was also examined. All tested Heterorhabditis species were more tolerant to glyphosate and fipronil than the Steinernema species. Heterorhabditis sonorensis Azohoue2, showed the best results with 63.2% termite mortality at a soil temperature of 35°C. The increase of soil moisture to 20% (w/w) did not negatively influence the virulence of tested EPN. The underground populations of 71% or 60% treated nests were controlled by H. sonorensis Azohoue2- or H. indica Ayogbe1-infected G. mellonella larvae, respectively.

Segregation and Homeownership in the Early Twentieth Century

2017 ◽  
Vol 107 (5) ◽  
pp. 410-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trevon D. Logan ◽  
John M. Parman
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Residential Segregation ◽  
Negative Correlation ◽  
Gi Bill ◽  
County Level ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Rural Counties ◽  
Early Twentieth Century ◽  
The Impact

We use new county-level segregation estimates for the period of 1880 to 1940 to document a general rise in residential segregation in both urban and rural counties occurring alongside rising homeownership rates. However, we find a negative correlation between segregation and homeownership across space for both black and white households. Following Fetter (2013), we show that living in a more segregated county substantially reduced the impact of GI Bill benefits on white homeownership rates, suggesting that segregated locations potentially hindered both white and black homeownership.

scholarly journals Weed Suppression in Pumpkin by Mulches Composed of Organic Municipal Waste Materials

HortScience ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (6) ◽  
pp. 720-726 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caitlin E. Splawski ◽  
Emilie E. Regnier ◽  
S. Kent Harrison ◽  
Mark A. Bennett ◽  
James D. Metzger
Keyword(s):  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Weed Biomass ◽  
Squash Bug ◽  
Black Plastic

Field studies were conducted in 2011 and 2012 to compare mulch treatments of shredded newspaper, a combination of shredded newspaper plus turfgrass clippings (NP + grass), hardwood bark chips, black polyethylene plastic, and bare soil on weeds, insects, soil moisture, and soil temperature in pumpkins. Newspaper mulch or black plastic reduced total weed biomass ≥90%, and woodchip or NP + grass mulch each reduced total weed biomass 78% compared with bare soil under high rainfall conditions in 2011. In 2012, under low rainfall, all mulches reduced weed biomass 97% or more compared with bare soil. In both years, all mulches resulted in higher squash bug infestations than bare soil. The woodchip, newspaper, and NP + grass mulches retained higher soil moistures than bare soil or black plastic over the course of each growing season, and the woodchip and NP + grass mulches caused greatest fluctuations in soil temperature. Pumpkin yields were abnormally low in 2011 and did not differ among treatments. In 2012, all mulches produced greater total marketable pumpkin fruit weights compared with bare soil, but only black plastic, newspaper, and NP + grass mulches resulted in greater total numbers of marketable pumpkins. Overall results indicate that shredded newspaper or NP + grass mulches may be useful for organic and/or small-scale urban crop producers as sustainable alternatives to black plastic mulch; however, their weed suppression efficacy may require higher application rates with increasing moisture conditions, and they may require greater squash bug control measures than under bare soil conditions.

scholarly journals The Effects of Black and White Plastic Mulch on Soil Temperature and Yield of Crisphead Lettuce in Southern New England

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 781-788
Author(s):  
Rahmatallah Gheshm ◽  
Rebecca Nelson Brown
Keyword(s):  
New England ◽  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Rank Order ◽  
Bare Ground ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Southern New England ◽  
Soil Temperatures ◽  
Head Height ◽  
Canopy Size

Annually, Americans consume an average of 24.5 lb of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) per capita, more than half of which is head lettuce. This study examined the impacts of using black and white-on-black polyethylene mulches on three crisphead lettuce cultivars for spring production in the open field, with data collected on the soil temperature and lettuce yields. Black polyethylene, white-on-black polyethylene, and bare ground were compared for effects on soil temperature, lettuce yields, and lettuce head height and diameter. Mean soil temperatures at a 5 cm depth were 18.9 °C under black polyethylene, 17.7 °C under white-on-black polyethylene, and 17.1 °C in bare ground plots. Changes in the lettuce canopy size presented a similar trend over the growing season in all treatments. Both mulch type and cultivar significantly (P < 0.01) affected the canopy growth in head lettuce. Lettuce on black polyethylene mulch grew significantly (P < 0.01) faster than lettuce on white-on-black polyethylene or bare ground. However, the black and white-on-black mulches produced similar yields, averaging 5.76 and 5.71 kg·mˉ2, respectively. Meanwhile, bare ground plot yields were significantly (P < 0.01) lower at 4.57 kg·mˉ2. Cultivar rank order was consistent across treatments, and Crispino and Garmsir at 5.82 and 5.47 kg·mˉ2 fresh weight had significantly higher yields than Nevada at 4.75 kg·mˉ2 (P < 0.01).

scholarly journals The effects of biodegradable mulch film on the growth, yield, and water use efficiency of cotton and maize in an arid region

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Deng ◽  
Ruide Yu ◽  
Qian Wang
Keyword(s):  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Arid Region ◽  
Growth Yield ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Plastic Film ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Mulch Film ◽  
Biodegradable Mulch ◽  
Use Efficiency

AbstractPlastic residual film pollution in China is serious, and the use of degradable mulch film instead of plastic mulch can effectively alleviate this situation. The substitution of common polyethylene plastic mulch film with biodegradable mulch film in the agricultural production of cotton and maize in an arid region was investigated in the present study. Using bare soil as the control, we compared the effects of common polyethylene plastic film and biodegradable mulch film on crop growth, yield, and water use efficiency (WUE) in maize and cotton. The results indicated that: (1) the biodegradable mulch film in this region remained intact for 60 days after being laid down, significantly degrading after 120 days, and was associated with increased soil temperature, moisture conservation, and degradability in comparison to a bare soil control. (2) Both the biodegradable mulch film and the polyethylene plastic film significantly increased various physiological parameters, such as crop height, stalk diameter, and leaf area. (3) The biodegradable mulch film significantly increased maize and cotton crop yield by 69.4–76.2% and 65.2–71.9%, respectively, compared to the bare soil control. (4) Compared to the bare soil control, the biodegradable mulch film effectively increased WUE in the crops by 64.5–73.1%. In summary, biodegradable mulch film had comparable results to the common polyethylene plastic film in increasing soil temperature, moisture conservation, crop growth, yield, and WUE. As the biodegradable mulch film causes no residual pollution, it is thus preferable to common plastic mulch film for agricultural applications in arid regions and supports the sustainable development of agroecosystems.

The Food Safety Risks of Harvesting Dropped and Drooping Produce: A Review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Doren ◽  
Robert Hadad ◽  
Lisa McKeag ◽  
Caitlin Tucker ◽  
Elizabeth Newbold
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Contaminated Soils ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Vegetable Production ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Rule Sets ◽  
Managing Risk ◽  
The Impact

The Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule sets forth minimum standards for fruit and vegetable production in the U.S. One provision states that growers must not harvest dropped produce, as damage or ground contact may contaminate produce. An unpublished survey of 2020 food safety inspections conducted by the Northeast Center to Advance Food Safety identified handling of dropped covered produce as a common misunderstanding and non-compliance issue among Northeast growers. In considering this provision’s on-farm practicality, this review was conducted to evaluate the risks associated with dropped and drooping produce to guide growers in making informed risk management decisions, and to answer the following questions: 1) What are the risk factors that influence transferability of pathogens from touching the ground to produce?; and 2) What are the risks associated with harvesting dropped or drooping produce covered under the Rule? A search of online databases found twelve relevant publications, which highlight moisture, contact time, and crop features as affecting contamination rates from a ground surface to a crop surface. Soil and mulch pose a differential risk, with bare soil generally presenting a lower risk than plastic mulch. The effects of other mulch types is unclear. Mulches may promote pathogen persistence in soil, though they may also protect produce from contaminated soils. These studies are limited in their scope and applicability and most do not directly address dropped produce. Future research is needed to clarify the varying effects of dropped and drooping produce, the impact of ground surface type on pathogen survivability and transfer, soil and crop features that facilitate contamination, and post-harvest risks of harvesting dropped or drooping produce. A comprehensive understanding will guide growers in implementing preventive measures and better managing risk in a way practicable to their farm's unique conditions.

scholarly journals Effect of Plastic Mulch Type and Insecticide on Incidence of Tomato Spotted Wilt, Plant Growth, and Yield of Tomato

HortScience ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 47 (7) ◽  
pp. 861-865 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter C. Andersen ◽  
Stephen M. Olson ◽  
M. Timur Momol ◽  
Joshua H. Freeman
Keyword(s):  
Soil Temperature ◽  
The Other ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Photon Flux ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Tomato Production ◽  
Tomato Spotted Wilt ◽  
Marketable Fruit ◽  
The Impact

Tomato spotted wilt (TSW) is caused by a Tospovirus [tomato spotted wilt virus (TSVW)] and is vectored by thrips. TSW is a major impediment to tomato production worldwide and has been identified as the most significant limitation in the southeastern United States. The objectives of this study were to quantify the impact of polyethylene mulch type (black, metalized, Heat stripe, and Sonoco printed) and insecticide (alternating applications of spinosad and methamidophos) on midafternoon soil temperature under the mulch, reflected photosynthetic photon flux (PPF), vegetative growth, flower number, incidence of TSW, yield, and fruit quality of ‘FL-47’ tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Midafternoon soil temperature during April and May (10-cm depth) averaged 2 to 4 °C higher under black mulch compared with the other mulches. The reflectance of PPF was highest for metalized mulch (up to two-thirds of PPF in full sunlight) followed by Heat stripe, Sonoco printed, and black mulch. In the presence of a full plant canopy, PPF reflectance was greatly reduced. The incidence of TSW [as determined visually and confirmed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)] was very high in 2002 and relatively low in 2003. Stem weight was significantly reduced in the black mulch treatment; however, plant height, leaf weight, or total numbers of flowers were not influenced by mulch type. For both years, the incidence of TSW on black mulch was significantly greater than that of the other mulch treatments for most sampling dates. The application of insecticides reduced percentage TSW on the last two sampling dates in both years. In 2002, but not 2003, yield per hectare was affected by mulch type. In both years, mulch type did not influence yield per plant and percentage marketable fruit, and insecticide applications increased yield per hectare, yield per plant, and percentage marketable fruit.

scholarly journals The Short-Term Impact of Different Silvicultural Thinnings on Soil Nematode and Microarthropod Biodiversity in Artificial Black Pine Stands

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1212
Author(s):  
Silvia Landi ◽  
Giada d’Errico ◽  
Francesco Binazzi ◽  
Umberto Di Salvatore ◽  
Lorenzo Gardin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Nematode Community ◽  
Soil Nematode ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Short Term Experiment ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Soil Indicators ◽  
Soil Temperature And Moisture

Soil invertebrates represent almost a quarter of the total diversity of living organisms and their activity affects the entire soil ecological process. The choice of adequate thinning systems may differently affect soil nematode and microarthropod biodiversity in artificial black pinewoods. In this work, the results of the impact of different thinnings on the structure of nematode and microarthropod communities was reported. In a short-term experiment, thinning from below and selective thinning were compared to unmanaged stands to provide indications at the regional scale in central Italy. Soil nematode and microarthropod biodiversity was explored by examining community structure, assessing biodiversity. The interaction between environmental variables (crown volume, Photosynthetically Active Radiation, soil texture, soil temperature, and moisture) with taxa abundance of nematodes and microarthropods were also reported. The results indicated that the effects of thinning practices were temporary and varied between years. Soil nematode community shifted during the first and third years of thinning managements only in the Pratomagno site, while soil microarthropod community shifted in both sites only in the second year. The total nematode abundance was minimally affected by thinning practices, while the nematode community composition showed a decrease of omnivores and predators in the first years. Soil indicators showed inconsistent results. In microarthropods, mites and collembola were the least affected by thinning in terms of abundance and species biodiversity, while eu-edaphic taxa of Chilopoda, Diplopoda, and Pauropoda were not influenced by thinning, hemi-edaphic and epi-edaphic taxa of Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, Tysanoptera, and Hemiptera were negatively affected. Soil indicators such as Shannon-Weiner and Simpson indices and soil biological quality (QBS-ar) improved in thinning from below in both sites. Soil temperature and moisture were the main driving factors in affecting soil nematode and microarthropods communities. Thinning from below probably allowed a more rapid recovery than selective thinning.

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