Abstract
The use of plastic film imposes various environmental risks in agroecosystems. The replacement of plastics with organic materials for mulching has been suggested to enhance the sustainability of agroecosystems. However, whether woodchip mulch can be used for annual crops needs to be verified. We examined the effects of mulberry woodchip mulches on tomato-fruit yields over two successive years. Mulberry is the unique food plant of silkworms, and it will be better if its pruned shoots can be recycled rather than incinerated as waste. Setting three treatments, including woodchip mulch, weed-free and weedy (i.e., unweeded) treatments, we compared the amounts of fresh-marketable and unmarketable tomato fruits. The yields of fresh-marketable tomato fruits in the woodchip mulch treatment were significantly 16-57% higher than those in the weed-free treatment and comparable to those in the weedy treatment. The yields of unmarketable dehiscent tomato fruits in the weed-free treatment were significantly 46-86% higher than those of the other two treatments. The woodchip mulches extensively suppressed the weed density, while the grown weeds became large, preventing strong sunlight exposure and dehiscence of tomato fruits. Current results suggest that woodchips could be a possible alternative to plastics, facilitating climate change mitigation with agroforestry practices.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Woodchip mulch significantly increased fresh-marketable tomato fruit yield by 16-57% relative to the weed-free treatment.
- Taxon
- tomato
Solanum lycopersicume1 - Treatment
- woodchip mulch treatmente1
- Outcome
- yields of fresh-marketable tomato fruitse1
- Direction
- highere1
- Value
- 16-57%e1
- Comparator
- weed-free treatmente1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The yields of fresh-marketable tomato fruits in the woodchip mulch treatment were significantly 16-57% higher than those in the weed-free treatment and comparable to those in the weedy treatment”
Claim · model-written summary
Fresh-marketable tomato fruit yield under woodchip mulch was comparable to the weedy treatment.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume1
- Treatment
- woodchip mulch treatmente1
- Outcome
- yields of fresh-marketable tomato fruitse1
- Direction
- comparablee1
- Comparator
- weedy treatmente1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The yields of fresh-marketable tomato fruits in the woodchip mulch treatment were significantly 16-57% higher than those in the weed-free treatment and comparable to those in the weedy treatment”
Claim · model-written summary
The weed-free treatment significantly increased unmarketable dehiscent tomato fruit yield by 46-86% relative to the other two treatments.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume2
- Treatment
- weed-free treatmente2
- Outcome
- yields of unmarketable dehiscent tomato fruitse2
- Direction
- highere2
- Value
- 46-86%e2
- Comparator
- the other two treatmentse2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e2“The yields of unmarketable dehiscent tomato fruits in the weed-free treatment were significantly 46-86% higher than those of the other two treatments”
Claim · model-written summary
Woodchip mulch suppressed weed density in tomato.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume3
- Treatment
- woodchip mulchese3
- Interactor
- weedse3weed
- Outcome
- weed densitye3
- Direction
- suppressede3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e3“The woodchip mulches extensively suppressed the weed density, while the grown weeds became large, preventing strong sunlight exposure and dehiscence of tomato fruits”
Claim · model-written summary
Large weeds prevented strong sunlight exposure and so reduced dehiscence of tomato fruits.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume3
- Outcome
- dehiscence of tomato fruitse3
- Qualifier
- preventing strong sunlight exposuree3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e3“The woodchip mulches extensively suppressed the weed density, while the grown weeds became large, preventing strong sunlight exposure and dehiscence of tomato fruits”
Claim · model-written summary
Woodchips could be a possible alternative to plastics for tomato production.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Outcome
- alternative to plasticse4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Fresh-marketable tomato yields enhanced by moderate weed control and suppressed fruit dehiscence with woodchip mulching”
e4“Current results suggest that woodchips could be a possible alternative to plastics, facilitating climate change mitigation with agroforestry practices”
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