Abstract
Organic mulches offer environmentally friendly benefits for cotton in challenging environments. A study was conducted in the farmer field and research station of the Rural Education and Economic Development Society (REEDS) Pakistan in 2023 to evaluate the effect of various organic mulches on soil properties, cotton yield, and quality in a semi-arid region. Results showed that wheat straw, rice, and sugarcane leaves straw maintained moderate soil temperatures (27.3°C to 27.4°C), unlike the control (41.6°C). Soil pH remained stable (7.9 to 8.1), and organic mulches raised soil carbon (0.68% to 0.72% vs. 0.51% control). Nutrient availability increased, with higher nitrogen (0.045% to 0.049%), phosphorus (6.2 mg kg−1 to 6.5 mg kg−1), and potassium (89 mg kg−1 to 92 mg kg−1) compared to control (0.028%, 5.6 mg kg−1, and 71 mg kg−1). Organic matter content rose (0.77% to 0.81%) versus the control (0.51%). Weed density decreased (4 to 5 weeds m² vs. 23 weeds m² control) with mulches. Cotton height, bolls per plant, and open-boll weight increased with mulches, elevating cotton yield (2704 kg ha−1 to 2743 kg ha−1) over control (2117 kg ha−1), with consistent ginning outturn (36.62% to 37.2%). Cotton quality remained similar, while mulches reduced irrigation frequency (7 irrigations) and total amount (533 mm); control needed more (9 irrigations, 685 mm). Crop water use efficiency improved with mulches (0.50 to 0.51 kg m−3 vs. 0.30 kg m−3 control). This study highlights organic mulch's potential to enhance soil properties, nutrient availability, weed suppression, cotton yield, and water use efficiency.
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Claims 15
Claim · model-written summary
Straw mulches moderated cotton-field soil temperature relative to control.
- Taxon
- cotton
Gossypium hirsutumt0 - Treatment
- wheat straw, rice, and sugarcane leaves strawe0
- Outcome
- soil temperaturese0
- Direction
- moderatee0
- Value
- 27.3°C to 27.4°Ce0
- Qualifier
- 41.6°Ce0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“wheat straw, rice, and sugarcane leaves straw maintained moderate soil temperatures (27.3°C to 27.4°C), unlike the control (41.6°C)”
t0“cotton”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil pH stayed stable under the cotton mulch treatments.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Outcome
- Soil pHe0
- Direction
- stablee0
- Value
- 7.9 to 8.1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Soil pH remained stable (7.9 to 8.1)”
t0“cotton”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic mulches increased cotton-field soil carbon relative to control.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Treatment
- organic mulchese0
- Outcome
- soil carbone0
- Direction
- raisede0
- Value
- 0.68% to 0.72%e0
- Qualifier
- 0.51%e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“organic mulches raised soil carbon (0.68% to 0.72% vs. 0.51% control)”
t0“cotton”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulches increased available soil nitrogen relative to control.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Treatment
- organic mulchese1
- Outcome
- nitrogene0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 0.045% to 0.049%e0
- Qualifier
- 0.028%e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Nutrient availability increased, with higher nitrogen (0.045% to 0.049%), phosphorus (6.2 mg kg−1 to 6.5 mg kg−1), and potassium (89 mg kg−1 to 92 mg kg−1) compared to control (0.028%, 5.6 mg kg−1, and 71 mg kg−1)”
t0“cotton”
e1“organic mulches raised soil carbon (0.68% to 0.72% vs. 0.51% control)”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulches increased available soil phosphorus relative to control.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Treatment
- organic mulchese1
- Outcome
- phosphoruse0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 6.2 mg kg−1 to 6.5 mg kg−1e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Nutrient availability increased, with higher nitrogen (0.045% to 0.049%), phosphorus (6.2 mg kg−1 to 6.5 mg kg−1), and potassium (89 mg kg−1 to 92 mg kg−1) compared to control (0.028%, 5.6 mg kg−1, and 71 mg kg−1)”
t0“cotton”
e1“organic mulches raised soil carbon (0.68% to 0.72% vs. 0.51% control)”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulches increased available soil potassium relative to control.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Treatment
- organic mulchese1
- Outcome
- potassiume0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 89 mg kg−1 to 92 mg kg−1e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Nutrient availability increased, with higher nitrogen (0.045% to 0.049%), phosphorus (6.2 mg kg−1 to 6.5 mg kg−1), and potassium (89 mg kg−1 to 92 mg kg−1) compared to control (0.028%, 5.6 mg kg−1, and 71 mg kg−1)”
t0“cotton”
e1“organic mulches raised soil carbon (0.68% to 0.72% vs. 0.51% control)”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic matter increased with mulch relative to control.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Treatment
- organic mulchese1
- Outcome
- Organic matter contente0
- Direction
- rosee0
- Value
- 0.77% to 0.81%e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Organic matter content rose (0.77% to 0.81%) versus the control (0.51%)”
t0“cotton”
e1“organic mulches raised soil carbon (0.68% to 0.72% vs. 0.51% control)”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulches reduced weed density in cotton fields.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Treatment
- mulchese0
- Interactor
- weedse0weed
- Outcome
- Weed densitye0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Value
- 4 to 5 weeds m²e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Weed density decreased (4 to 5 weeds m² vs. 23 weeds m² control) with mulches”
t0“cotton”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulches increased cotton height, boll number and open-boll weight.
- Taxon
- CottonGossypium hirsutume0
- Treatment
- mulchese0
- Outcome
- height, bolls per plant, and open-boll weighte0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Cotton height, bolls per plant, and open-boll weight increased with mulches”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulches increased cotton yield over control.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutume0
- Treatment
- mulchese1
- Outcome
- cotton yielde0
- Direction
- elevatinge0
- Value
- 2704 kg ha−1 to 2743 kg ha−1e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“elevating cotton yield (2704 kg ha−1 to 2743 kg ha−1) over control (2117 kg ha−1)”
t0“cotton”
e1“organic mulches raised soil carbon (0.68% to 0.72% vs. 0.51% control)”
Claim · model-written summary
Cotton ginning outturn remained consistent under mulch.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Outcome
- ginning outturne0
- Direction
- consistente0
- Value
- 36.62% to 37.2%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“with consistent ginning outturn (36.62% to 37.2%)”
t0“cotton”
Claim · model-written summary
Cotton quality was similar across treatments.
- Taxon
- CottonGossypium hirsutume0
- Outcome
- qualitye0
- Direction
- similare0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Cotton quality remained similar”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulches reduced irrigation frequency relative to control.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Treatment
- mulchese0
- Outcome
- irrigation frequencye0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 7 irrigationse0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“mulches reduced irrigation frequency (7 irrigations) and total amount (533 mm); control needed more (9 irrigations, 685 mm)”
t0“cotton”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulches reduced total irrigation water relative to control.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Treatment
- mulchese0
- Outcome
- total amounte0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 533 mme0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“mulches reduced irrigation frequency (7 irrigations) and total amount (533 mm); control needed more (9 irrigations, 685 mm)”
t0“cotton”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulches improved cotton crop water use efficiency over control.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Treatment
- mulchese0
- Outcome
- Crop water use efficiencye0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Value
- 0.50 to 0.51 kg m−3e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Crop water use efficiency improved with mulches (0.50 to 0.51 kg m−3 vs. 0.30 kg m−3 control)”
t0“cotton”
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