Abstract
A foam mulch system was developed that can be applied as an aqueous mixture of cotton and cellulose fibers, gums, starches, surfactants and saponins and dries to an one inch thick mat. This mulch may overcome the difficulty in applying and lack of persistence with natural mulches. Foam mulch also has the advantage of being able to be incorporated into the soil without requiring disposal like some plastic mulches. The objective of our study was to determine the effect of foam mulch and its color on weed control within the crop row and on yields of basil ( Ocimum basilicum ) and tomatoes ( Lycopersicon esculentum ). The foam mulch maintained its integrity for the entire growing season and provided weed control within the crop row comparable to black plastic mulch. The only weeds that emerged in the crop row were through holes in either the black or foam mulch. Foam mulch color did not affect weed control because regardless of color it did not allow light penetration andserved as a physical barrier impeding weed emergence. Basil shoot biomass was not affected by mulch treatment. Mulch color affected early, ripe fruit, and total yield of tomato. Tomato yields in the blue foam were greater than other treatments. Yields in the black foam mulch were similar to those in black plastic mulch. Further research is needed to characterize the effects of foam mulch on crop microenvironment. Currently foam mulch is being commercialized for use in the home landscape and other highvalue situations.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Foam mulch gave weed control within the crop row comparable to black plastic mulch.
- Taxon
- tomatoes
Solanum lycopersicume0 - Treatment
- foam mulche1
- Outcome
- weed control within the crop rowe1
- Direction
- no_changeinferrede1
- Comparator
- black plastic mulche1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“yields of basil ( Ocimum basilicum ) and tomatoes ( Lycopersicon esculentum )”
e1“The foam mulch maintained its integrity for the entire growing season and provided weed control within the crop row comparable to black plastic mulch”
Claim · model-written summary
Foam mulch maintained its integrity for the entire growing season.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicume0
- Material
- foam mulche1
- Outcome
- integritye1
- Qualifier
- for the entire growing seasone1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“yields of basil ( Ocimum basilicum ) and tomatoes ( Lycopersicon esculentum )”
e1“The foam mulch maintained its integrity for the entire growing season and provided weed control within the crop row comparable to black plastic mulch”
Claim · model-written summary
The only weeds that emerged in the crop row came through holes in the black or foam mulch.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicume0
- Interactor
- weedse2weed
- Outcome
- emerged in the crop rowe2
- Qualifier
- through holes in either the black or foam mulche2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“yields of basil ( Ocimum basilicum ) and tomatoes ( Lycopersicon esculentum )”
e2“The only weeds that emerged in the crop row were through holes in either the black or foam mulch”
Claim · model-written summary
Foam mulch colour did not affect weed control.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicume0
- Treatment
- Foam mulch colore3
- Outcome
- weed controle3
- Direction
- did not affecte3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“yields of basil ( Ocimum basilicum ) and tomatoes ( Lycopersicon esculentum )”
e3“Foam mulch color did not affect weed control because regardless of color it did not allow light penetration and served as a physical barrier impeding weed emergence”
Claim · model-written summary
Basil shoot biomass was not affected by mulch treatment.
- Taxon
- Ocimum basilicum
Ocimum basilicume0 - Organ / stage
- shoote4
- Treatment
- mulch treatmente4
- Outcome
- shoot biomasse4
- Direction
- not affectede4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“yields of basil ( Ocimum basilicum ) and tomatoes ( Lycopersicon esculentum )”
e4“Basil shoot biomass was not affected by mulch treatment”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulch colour affected early fruit, ripe fruit and total yield of tomato.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume5
- Treatment
- Mulch colore5
- Outcome
- early, ripe fruit, and total yielde5
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“yields of basil ( Ocimum basilicum ) and tomatoes ( Lycopersicon esculentum )”
e5“Mulch color affected early, ripe fruit, and total yield of tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Tomato yields under blue foam mulch were greater than under other treatments.
- Taxon
- TomatoSolanum lycopersicume6
- Treatment
- blue foame6
- Outcome
- yieldse6
- Direction
- greatere6
- Comparator
- other treatmentse6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“yields of basil ( Ocimum basilicum ) and tomatoes ( Lycopersicon esculentum )”
e6“Tomato yields in the blue foam were greater than other treatments”
Claim · model-written summary
Tomato yields under black foam mulch were similar to those under black plastic mulch.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicume0
- Treatment
- black foam mulche7
- Outcome
- Yieldse7
- Direction
- no_changeinferrede7
- Comparator
- black plastic mulche7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“yields of basil ( Ocimum basilicum ) and tomatoes ( Lycopersicon esculentum )”
e7“Yields in the black foam mulch were similar to those in black plastic mulch”
The same questions in other papers
mulching · weed · Solanum lycopersicum (tomato)Positive and negative results
48 papers in the same direction as this paper · 2 in the opposite direction · 4 reporting no difference from an alternative
- negative
- negative
- no effect
51 papers more in this group
See all 55 papers →mulching · yield · Solanum lycopersicum (tomato)Positive and negative results
25 papers in the same direction as this paper · 184 reporting no difference from an alternative
- positive
- no effect
- positive
206 papers more in this group
See all 210 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.