Abstract
Soil mulching has advantages for horticultural crops, from both agronomic and phytosanitary points of view. The most common material used is polyethylene (PE); however, promising alternatives from the circular economy exist, such as straw (ST) and biodegradable biopolymers (BBs). The effect of the three aforementioned mulches was evaluated and compared to non-mulched soil in a Mediterranean greenhouse for two years of an organic tomato crop. Physical (moisture and temperature) and physicochemical properties of the soil, in addition to crop yield and the effect of the mulches on weed control, were assessed. Additionally, the deterioration of plastic mulches was assessed. The temperature was higher in the mulched soils, but few differences were found between soil and BB at the end of the second cycle. Evaporation was lower in mulched soil, in general, without big differences among the types of mulch. Crop yield did not show differences. At the end of the trials, of the 16 physicochemical variables evaluated, only a slight increase in pH was detected in the ST-mulched plots. BB film degradation reached 5.6% and 6.7% of the total surface at the end of the first and second cycles, respectively. Weeds were equally limited for PE, BB, and ST mulches, but cereal seeds contained within the straw germinated randomly all over the crop cycle. In summary, straw and biodegradable plastic mulches offered the same benefits as conventional PE mulch. Therefore, they can be considered a feasible and more sustainable option, in addition to being consistent with the principles of the bioeconomy.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Mulched soil had higher temperature.
- Taxon
- Tomato
Solanum lycopersicumt0 - Treatment
- mulched soilse0
- Outcome
- temperaturee0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The temperature was higher in the mulched soils”
t0“Tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil and biodegradable biopolymer mulch had few temperature differences at the end of the second cycle.
- Taxon
- TomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Outcome
- few differencese0
- Qualifier
- at the end of the second cyclee0
- Comparator
- soil and BBe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“few differences were found between soil and BB at the end of the second cycle”
t0“Tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulching generally lowered evaporation with little difference across mulch types.
- Taxon
- TomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- mulched soile0
- Outcome
- Evaporatione0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Qualifier
- without big differences among the types of mulche0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Evaporation was lower in mulched soil, in general, without big differences among the types of mulch”
t0“Tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Crop yield did not differ among mulch treatments.
- Taxon
- TomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- three aforementioned mulchese1
- Outcome
- Crop yielde0
- Direction
- did not show differencese0
- Comparator
- non-mulched soile1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Crop yield did not show differences”
e1“The effect of the three aforementioned mulches was evaluated and compared to non-mulched soil”
t0“Tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Straw mulch slightly increased soil pH.
- Taxon
- TomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- ST-mulched plotse0
- Outcome
- pHe0
- Direction
- slight increasee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“only a slight increase in pH was detected in the ST-mulched plots”
t0“Tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Biodegradable film degradation reached 5.6% after the first cycle.
- Taxon
- TomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Outcome
- BB film degradatione0
- Value
- 5.6%e0
- Qualifier
- at the end of the first and second cycles, respectivelye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“BB film degradation reached 5.6% and 6.7% of the total surface at the end of the first and second cycles, respectively”
t0“Tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Biodegradable film degradation reached 6.7% after the second cycle.
- Taxon
- TomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Outcome
- BB film degradatione0
- Value
- 6.7%e0
- Qualifier
- at the end of the first and second cycles, respectivelye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“BB film degradation reached 5.6% and 6.7% of the total surface at the end of the first and second cycles, respectively”
t0“Tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Polyethylene, biodegradable and straw mulches equally limited weeds.
- Taxon
- TomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- PE, BB, and ST mulchese0
- Interactor
- Weedse0weed
- Outcome
- Weedse0
- Direction
- equally limitede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Weeds were equally limited for PE, BB, and ST mulches”
t0“Tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Cereal seeds in straw germinated sporadically through the crop cycle.
- Taxon
- TomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Interactor
- cereale0weed
- Outcome
- cereal seeds contained within the straw germinated randomlye0
- Qualifier
- all over the crop cyclee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“cereal seeds contained within the straw germinated randomly all over the crop cycle”
t0“Tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Straw and biodegradable mulch are recommended as feasible sustainable alternatives to polyethylene.
- Taxon
- TomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Outcome
- a feasible and more sustainable optione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“straw and biodegradable plastic mulches offered the same benefits as conventional PE mulch. Therefore, they can be considered a feasible and more sustainable option”
t0“Tomato”
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