abstract- over the past 50 years, oil mulching has been a common technique for sand dune stabilization in the southwest of iran (khuzestan province). however, concerns over the release of heavy metals from oil mulching have led to the search for alternative mulches that are capable of stabilizing sand dunes without environmental hazards. this study investigates the feasibility of using sugarcan...

using mulch to decrease and optimize water use is known as a practical method. for this purpose, a split-factorial experiment based on complete block design with three replications on two melon cultivars was conducted in spring season of 2010 in torbat-e-jam. interval irrigation treatments in three levels (6, 8 and 10 days) were considered as main plot and mulch (straw plus paddy rice, plastic ...

Knowledge about fungi diversity following different planting patterns could improve our understanding of soil processes and thus help us to develop sustainable management strategies. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of different furrow-ridge mulching techniques on fungal diversity in rhizosphere soil under continuous cropping system. The investigated treatments were: flat...

Compost and mulch blankets have been widely used for slope stabilization and erosion control at construction sites; however, the majority of research on these erosion control blankets has failed to meet state or federal specifications for particle size distribution. The primary objective of this study was to determine how blending wood mulch with compost may affect its performance as an erosion...

The need to increase agricultural production in proportion population growth and water crisis management requires initiatives that can the quantity quality of crops by using soil moisture storage methods while preserving environment. According problem presented, order simulate temperature, humidity radiation farm environment, a control system, along with laboratory facilities were designed cons...

The ENergy and WATer BALance (ENWATBAL) model is a mechanistic, numerical model that simulates soil water and temperature profiles, evaporation from soil, and transpiration from crops, but it does not simulate the effects of a mulch layer. Surface vegetative mulches are becoming more common, especially in reduced-tillage systems, limiting the model’s applicability. Our objective was to modify E...

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...

Recent studies have shown an insecticidal effect of Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl.) Gray (Asterales: Asteraceae) foliage on workers of Atta cephalotes L. and inhibitory effects of this plant on the growth of the symbiotic fungus Leucoagaricus gongylophorus (A. Müler) Singer. To evaluate the potential of T. diversifolia as a biological control treatment of this important pest, we assessed the eff...