Abstract
There is an increasing interest in organic horticulture in Puerto Rico. One of the main limitations for organic production is the scarcity of local research for production recommendations. Research was conducted to evaluate mulching for weed suppression and alternative pesticides for disease management in an organic watermelon system in Lajas, Puerto Rico. Plots were either not mulched or mulched with freshly-cut grass straw. The alternative pesticides were (1) a blend of oils of rosemary, clove, thyme and wintergreen, mixed with lecithin and buthyl lactate (Sporan®), (2) hydrogen dioxide (OxiDate®), (3) an oil extract from the tea tree Melaleuca alternifolia) (Timorex®), (4) a clarified Hydrophobic Extract of neem (Azadirachta indica) oil (Trilogy®), (5) mint and rosemary oils mixed with wintergreen oil, vanillin, lecithin and buthyl lactate (Ecotrol®), (6) potassium bicarbonate (Milstop®), (7) Bacillus pumilis strain QST 2808 (Sonata®), (8) B. subtilis strain QST 713 (Serenade®), (9) whole milk (10% solution in water), (10) a garlic (Allium sativum) extract (Garlic Barrier®), (11) (Javelin®) mixed with a copper fungicide (NuCop®) alternated with B. thuringiensis (Agree®) mixed with a copper fungicide (NuCop®), and (12) a check treated with water. The organic pesticides were applied weekly at recommended rates. Downy mildew was the prevalent disease throughout the season. Watermelon yield was significantly higher in mulched plots than in non-mulched plots, due to weed suppression by the mulch. Among the organic pesticide treatments resulting in the highest crop yields were hydrogen dioxide, Bacillus pumilis strain QST 2808, the garlic extract, and the Melaleuca alternifolia oil extract. These results provide valuable information for weed and disease management in organic and ecological watermelon systems in tropical regions.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Downy mildew was prevalent during the watermelon season.
- Taxon
- watermelon
Citrullus lanatust0 - Interactor
- Downy mildewPeronosporaceaee0pathogen
- Outcome
- Downy mildewe0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Downy mildew was the prevalent disease throughout the season.”
t0“Watermelons”
Claim · model-written summary
Grass straw mulch significantly increased watermelon yield compared with no mulch through weed suppression.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatuse0
- Treatment
- mulched plotse0
- Outcome
- Watermelon yielde0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- non-mulched plotse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Watermelon yield was significantly higher in mulched plots than in non-mulched plots, due to weed suppression by the mulch.”
Claim · model-written summary
Hydrogen dioxide was among the pesticide treatments producing the highest watermelon yields.
- Taxon
- WatermelonsCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- hydrogen dioxidee0
- Outcome
- crop yieldse0
- Direction
- higheste0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Among the organic pesticide treatments resulting in the highest crop yields were hydrogen dioxide, Bacillus pumilis strain QST 2808, the garlic extract, and the Melaleuca alternifolia oil extract.”
t0“Watermelons”
Claim · model-written summary
Bacillus pumilis strain QST 2808 was among treatments producing the highest watermelon yields.
- Taxon
- WatermelonsCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- Bacillus pumilis strain QST 2808e0
- Outcome
- crop yieldse0
- Direction
- higheste0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Among the organic pesticide treatments resulting in the highest crop yields were hydrogen dioxide, Bacillus pumilis strain QST 2808, the garlic extract, and the Melaleuca alternifolia oil extract.”
t0“Watermelons”
Claim · model-written summary
The garlic extract was among treatments producing the highest watermelon yields.
- Taxon
- WatermelonsCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- the garlic extracte0
- Outcome
- crop yieldse0
- Direction
- higheste0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Among the organic pesticide treatments resulting in the highest crop yields were hydrogen dioxide, Bacillus pumilis strain QST 2808, the garlic extract, and the Melaleuca alternifolia oil extract.”
t0“Watermelons”
Claim · model-written summary
Melaleuca alternifolia oil extract was among treatments producing the highest watermelon yields.
- Taxon
- WatermelonsCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- the Melaleuca alternifolia oil extracte0
- Outcome
- crop yieldse0
- Direction
- higheste0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Among the organic pesticide treatments resulting in the highest crop yields were hydrogen dioxide, Bacillus pumilis strain QST 2808, the garlic extract, and the Melaleuca alternifolia oil extract.”
t0“Watermelons”
The same questions in other papers
Allium sativum · yield · Citrullus lanatus (watermelon)Results agree
1 paper in the same direction as this paper
- positive
mulching · yield · Citrullus lanatus (watermelon)Results differ
35 papers in the same direction as this paper · 8 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- no effect
- negative
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See all 44 papers →botanical · yield · Citrullus lanatus (watermelon)Results agree
3 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- positive
- positive
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.