SUSTAINING CROP GROWTH WITH COMPOST AND PLASTIC MULCH

Influence of Different Colored Plastic Mulch on the Growth of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)

Mulches bring several benefits to lettuce cultivation.A study on the lettuce ‘Red Rapids’ has been conducted to determine the influence of the different colored plastic mulch on its growth. The experiment consisted of five color treatments as follows; treatment 1- metallic silver (control), treatment 2- red, treatment 3- orange, treatment 4- yellow and treatment 5-green. Results showed that the...

Effects of cover crops, compost, and manure amendments on soil microbial community structure in tomato production systems

Soil microbial community structure and crop yield was investigated in field tomato production systems that compared black polyethylene mulch to hairy vetch mulch and inorganic N to organic N. The following hypotheses were tested: (1) hairy vetch cover cropping increases crop yield and significantly affects soil microbial community structure when compared to the standard plastic mulch and synthe...

How Long Can Roundup ® Residues Stay on Plastic Mulch ?

Runoff loss of pesticides and soil: a comparison between vegetative mulch and plastic mulch in vegetable production systems.

Current vegetable production systems use polyethylene (plastic) mulch and require multiple applications of agrochemicals. During rain events, runoff from vegetable production is enhanced because 50 to 75% of the field is covered with an impervious surface. This study was conducted to quantify off-site movement of soil and pesticides with runoff from tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) plots ...

Compost, Manure and Sewage Sludge Applied to a Crop Rotation

The disposal of organic wastes specially from urban origin is a very serious problem. The recycling through agriculture is certainly one of the best solutions but it means a thorough control of the composition and doses applied, as well as the response of the crops, in production and quality. In this paper we deal with compost of solid urban residues, sewage sludge, and cow manure as a known re...