Abstract
ABSTRACT The effects of several mulches on weed growth and labor costs in small-scale, non-mechanized vegetable production were compared. Hay mulches applied at 15 to 24 Mg ha−1 (ca. 100 mm depth) several weeks after tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) planting substantially reduced the growth of annual weeds, and sometimes resulted in a net labor saving compared to the unmulched treatment. Grass seed carried by hay contributed visibly to weed growth in only one out of eight trials. A mulch of composted yard waste at 117 to 196 Mg ha−1 (ca. 30–50 mm depth) was less effective against weeds than the hay mulch. Black plastic (32 μm thick embossed black polyethylene) blocked weeds except for a few emerging through planting holes. Labor requirements for mulching (including end-of-season removal) and transplanting were greater for plastic than for organic mulches, so that no net labor savings were realized. Alleys between plastic-mulched rows also required other weed control measures. Kraft paper mulches decomposed before the end of the season, and thus provided less weed control than plastic. However, two layers of newsprint laid under hay or straw significantly enhanced weed suppression by the organic mulch. KEYWORDS: Mulchpaperplasticorganictomatoweedslabor
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Hay mulch reduced annual weed growth after tomato planting.
- Taxon
- tomato
Solanum lycopersicume0 - Treatment
- Hay mulches applied at 15 to 24 Mg ha−1e0
- Interactor
- annual weedse0weed
- Outcome
- growth of annual weedse0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Hay mulches applied at 15 to 24 Mg ha−1 (ca. 100 mm depth) several weeks after tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) planting substantially reduced the growth of annual weeds”
Claim · model-written summary
Hay mulch sometimes saved net labour relative to no mulch.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- Hay mulchese0
- Outcome
- net labor savinge0
- Direction
- savinge0
- Qualifier
- sometimese0
- Comparator
- unmulched treatmente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Hay mulches applied at 15 to 24 Mg ha−1 (ca. 100 mm depth) several weeks after tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) planting substantially reduced the growth of annual weeds, and sometimes resulted in a net labor saving compared to the unmulched treatment.”
t0“tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) planting”
Claim · model-written summary
Grass seed carried by hay visibly contributed to weed growth in one of eight trials.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Interactor
- Grasse0weed
- Outcome
- weed growthe0
- Value
- one out of eight trialse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Grass seed carried by hay contributed visibly to weed growth in only one out of eight trials.”
t0“tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) planting”
Claim · model-written summary
Composted yard waste controlled weeds less effectively than hay mulch.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- composted yard waste at 117 to 196 Mg ha−1e0
- Interactor
- weedse0weed
- Outcome
- effective against weedse0
- Direction
- less effectivee0
- Comparator
- hay mulche0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“A mulch of composted yard waste at 117 to 196 Mg ha−1 (ca. 30–50 mm depth) was less effective against weeds than the hay mulch.”
t0“tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) planting”
Claim · model-written summary
Black plastic blocked weeds apart from a few through planting holes.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- Black plastice0
- Interactor
- weedse0weed
- Outcome
- weedse0
- Direction
- blockede0
- Qualifier
- except for a few emerging through planting holese0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Black plastic (32 μm thick embossed black polyethylene) blocked weeds except for a few emerging through planting holes.”
t0“tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) planting”
Claim · model-written summary
Plastic required more mulching and transplanting labour than organic mulch.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- plastice0
- Outcome
- Labor requirements for mulching (including end-of-season removal) and transplantinge0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Comparator
- organic mulchese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Labor requirements for mulching (including end-of-season removal) and transplanting were greater for plastic than for organic mulches”
t0“tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) planting”
Claim · model-written summary
Plastic yielded no net labour savings.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Outcome
- net labor savingse0
- Direction
- noe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“no net labor savings were realized.”
t0“tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) planting”
Claim · model-written summary
Alleys between plastic-mulched rows required additional weed control.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Interactor
- weede0weed
- Outcome
- required other weed control measurese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Alleys between plastic-mulched rows also required other weed control measures.”
t0“tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) planting”
Claim · model-written summary
Kraft paper mulch decomposed before season end.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Outcome
- decomposed before the end of the seasone0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Kraft paper mulches decomposed before the end of the season”
t0“tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) planting”
Claim · model-written summary
Kraft paper provided less weed control than plastic.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- Kraft paper mulchese0
- Outcome
- weed controle0
- Direction
- lesse0
- Comparator
- plastice0
Not reportedInteractor
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Kraft paper mulches decomposed before the end of the season, and thus provided less weed control than plastic.”
t0“tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) planting”
Claim · model-written summary
Two newsprint layers under hay or straw significantly enhanced weed suppression.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- two layers of newsprint laid under hay or strawe0
- Outcome
- weed suppressione0
- Direction
- enhancede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“two layers of newsprint laid under hay or straw significantly enhanced weed suppression by the organic mulch.”
t0“tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) planting”
The same questions in other papers
fertilization · weed · Solanum lycopersicum (tomato)Positive and negative results
3 papers in the same direction as this paper · 1 in the opposite direction
- positive
- negative
- no effect
1 paper more in this group
See all 5 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
- positive
- positive
- negative
51 papers more in this group
See all 55 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.