The first factor affecting dryland winter wheat grain yield under various mulching measures: Spike number

Water is the key factor limiting dryland wheat grain yield.Mulching affects crop yield and yield components by affecting soil moisture.Further research is needed to determine the relationships between yield components and soil moisture with yield,and to identify the most important factor affecting grain yield under various mulching measures.A long-term 9-yearifeld experiment in the Loess Plateau of Northwest China was carried out with three treatments:no mulch (CK),plastic mulch (M_(P)) and straw mulch (M_(S)).Yield factors and soil moisture were measured,and the relationships between them were explored by correlation analysis,structural equation modeling and significance analysis.The results showed that compared with CK,the average grain yields of M_(P) and M_(S) increased by 13.0and 10.6%,respectively.The average annual grain yield of the M_(P) treatment was 134 kg ha^(–1) higher than the M_(S) treatment.There were no significant differences in yield components among the three treatments (P<0.05).Soil water storage of the M_(S) treatment was greater than the M_(P) treatment,although the differences were not statistically signifiant.Soil water storage during the summer fallow period (SWSSF) and soil water storage before sowing (SWSS) of M_(S) were significantly higher than in CK,which increased by 38.5 and 13.6%,respectively.The relationship between M_(P) and CK was not statistically significant for SWSSF,but the SWSS in M_(P) was significantly higher than in CK.In terms of soil water storage after harvest (SWSH) and water consumption in the growth period(ET),there were no signi?cant differences among the three treatments.Based on the three analysis methods,we found that spike number and ET were positively correlated with grain yield.However,the relative importance of spike number to yield was the greatest in the M_(P )and M_(S) treatments,while that of ET was the greatest in CK.Suifcient SWSSF could indirectly increase spike number and ET in the three treatments.Based on these results,mulch can improve yield and soil water storage.The most important factor affecting the grain yield of dryland wheat was spike number under mulching,and ET with CK.These findings may help us to understand the main factors influencing dryland wheat grain yield under mulching conditions compared to CK.

Can soil organic carbon sequestration and the carbon management index be improved by changing the film mulching methods in the semiarid region?

Plastic film mulching has been widely used to increase maize yield in the semiarid area of China.However, whether long-term plastic film mulching is conducive to agricultural sustainability in this region remains controversial.A field experiment was initiated in 2013 with five different film mulching methods:(i) control method, flat planting without mulching (CK),(ii) flat planting with half film mulching (P),(iii) film mulching on ridges and planting in narrow furrows(S),(iv) full film mulching on double ridges (D), and (v) film mulching on ridges and planting in wide furrows (R).The effects on soil organic carbon (SOC) content, storage, and fractions, and on the carbon management index (CMI)were evaluated after nine consecutive years of plastic film mulching.The results showed that long-term plastic film mulching generally maintained the initial SOC level.Compared with no mulching, plastic film mulching increased the average crop yield, biomass yield, and root biomass by 48.38, 35.06, and 37.32%, respectively, which led to the improvement of SOC sequestration.Specifically, plastic film mulching significantly improved CMI, and increased the SOC content by 13.59%, SOC storage by 7.47%and easily oxidizable organic carbon (EOC) by 13.78%on average,but it reduced the other labile fractions.SOC sequestration and CMI were improved by refining the plastic film mulching methods.The S treatment had the best effect among the four mulching methods, so it can be used as a reasonable film mulching method for sustainable agricultural development in the semiarid area.

Spectral purification improves monitoring accuracy of the comprehensive growth evaluation index for film-mulched winter wheat

In order to further improve the utility of unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV)remote-sensing for quickly and accurately monitoring the growth of winter wheat under film mulching, this study examined the treatments of ridge mulching,ridge–furrow full mulching, and flat cropping full mulching in winter wheat.Based on the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE) method, four agronomic parameters (leaf area index, above-ground biomass, plant height, and leaf chlorophyll content) were used to calculate the comprehensive growth evaluation index (CGEI) of the winter wheat, and 14 visible and near-infrared spectral indices were calculated using spectral purification technology to process the remote-sensing image data of winter wheat obtained by multispectral UAV.Four machine learning algorithms, partial least squares, support vector machines, random forests, and artificial neural network networks(ANN), were used to build the winter wheat growth monitoring model under film mulching, and accuracy evaluation and mapping of the spatial and temporal distribution of winter wheat growth status were carried out.The results showed that the CGEI of winter wheat under film mulching constructed using the FCE method could objectively and comprehensively evaluate the crop growth status.The accuracy of remote-sensing inversion of the CGEI based on the ANN model was higher than for the individual agronomic parameters, with a coefficient of determination of 0.75,a root mean square error of 8.40, and a mean absolute value error of 6.53.Spectral purification could eliminate the interference of background effects caused by mulching and soil, effectively improving the accuracy of the remotesensing inversion of winter wheat under film mulching, with the best inversion effect achieved on the ridge–furrow full mulching area after spectral purification.The results of this study provide a theoretical reference for the use of UAV remote-sensing to monitor the growth status of winter wheat with film mulching.

Effect of Different Mulch Materials on Yield and Nutrition Profile of Common Capsicum (Capsicum annuum) Cultivars in Bangladesh

Capsicum is a nutritious vegetable and its cultivation in farms is getting popular in Bangladesh. Although many efforts have lain to explore better yielding and nutritionally rich cultivars with suitable modern cultivation techniques but still have to find the desired outcome. Thus, it’s necessary to conduct further research to identify the high-yielding and nutritious capsicum cultivars in Bangladesh. An experiment was conducted from July 2021 to June 2022 at the Bangladesh Institute of Research and Training on Applied Nutrition (BIRTAN) research field with three cultivars of capsicum: B0 = California Wonder, B1 = BARI Misti Morich-1 and B2 = BARI Misti Morich-2 and three mulching: T0 = No mulching, T1 = Water hyacinth, T2 = Poly Mulching in randomized complete block design with three replications to identify better quality capsicum cultivar and suitable mulching material. Among cultivars the BARI Misti Morich-2 (B2) showed increased agronomic parameters like number of branches and effective branches per plant, leaves length and width, consequently yield and yield contributing traits were also enhanced like fruits per plant, fruit length, fruit diameter and yield per plant (25.97%, 4.54%, 3.64% and 21.43%, respectively). Poly Mulching (T2) increased agronomic traits, yield traits and yield (0.61 kg) than BARI Misti Morich-1 (T1). The combined effect of B2T2 increased the number of branches per plant, effective branches per plant, leaves length and breadth by 40%, 90%, 15.57% and 26.22%, respectively, hence resulting in an increased yield of 20%. BARI Misti Morich-2 cultivar showed an increase in Fe, Zn and Vitamin-C content of 26.24% and 23.10%, 8.82% and 5.14%, and 6.03% and 5.74% than B0 and B1 cultivars, respectively. Therefore, BARI Misti Morich-2 exhibited the improved agronomic, yield and nutritional traits of capsicum under poly mulching among other cultivars in Bangladesh.

Review on the fully mulched ridge–furrow system for sustainable maize production on the semi-arid Loess Plateau

The fully mulched ridge–furrow(FMRF) system has been widely used on the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China due to its high maize(Zea mays L.) productivity and rainfall use efficiency. However, high outputs under this system led to a depletion of soil moisture and soil nutrients, which reduces its sustainability in the long run. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the system for the sustainable development of agriculture. The development, yield-increasing mechanisms,negative impacts, optimization, and their relations in the FMRF system are reviewed in this paper. We suggest using grain and forage maize varieties instead of regular maize;mulching plastic film in autumn or leaving the mulch after maize harvesting until the next spring, and then removing the old film and mulching new film;combining reduced/notillage with straw return;utilizing crop rotation or intercropping with winter canola(Brassica campestris L.), millet(Setaria italica), or oilseed flax(Linum usitatissimum L.);reducing nitrogen fertilizer and partially replacing chemical fertilizer with organic fertilizer;using biodegradable or weather-resistant film;and implementing mechanized production. These integrations help to establish an environmentally friendly, high quality, and sustainable agricultural system, promote highquality development of dryland farming, and create new opportunities for agricultural development in the semi-arid Loess Plateau.

Better tillage selection before ridge–furrow film mulch can facilitate root proliferation, and increase nitrogen accumulation,translocation and grain yield of maize in a semiarid area

Plastic film mulch systems are used widely in arid areas, and the associated tillage measures affect soil properties, root and crop growth, and nutrient uptake. However, much debate surrounds the most suitable tillage method for plastic film mulch systems. We conducted a two-year field experiment to explore the impact of three tillage treatments-rotary tillage before ridge–furrow plastic film mulch(MR), no-tillage before ridge–furrow plastic film mulch(MZ), and plow tillage before ridge–furrow plastic film mulch(MP)-on soil total nitrogen, available nitrogen, root stratification structure,nitrogen transfer and utilization, and maize yield. The results showed that MP had better soil quality than either MR or MZ over 2019 and 2020, with higher nitrate-nitrogen and total nitrogen in the 0–40 cm soil layer. MP improved the soil physicochemical properties more than the other treatments, producing significantly higher root numbers and root biomass for the aerial and underground nodal roots than MR and MZ. At harvest, MP had the highest root biomass density,root length density, and root surface area density in the different soil layers(0–20, 20–40, and 0–40 cm). Significant correlations occurred between root biomass and aboveground nitrogen accumulation during maize growth. During grain filling, MP had the greatest nitrogen transfer amount, significantly increasing root and aboveground nitrogen transfer by 19.63–45.82% and 11.15–24.56%, respectively, relative to the other treatments. MP significantly produced 1.36–26.73%higher grain yields and a higher grain crude protein content at harvest than MR and MZ. MP also had higher values for the nitrogen harvest index, nitrogen uptake efficiency, and partial factor productivity of nitrogen fertilizer than MR and MZ.In conclusion, plow tillage combined with a ridge–furrow plastic film mulch system facilitated maize root development and improved nitrogen utilization, thereby increasing maize yield more than the other treatments.

Improving maize growth and development simulation by integrating temperature compensatory effect under plastic film mulching into the AquaCrop model

Temperature compensatory effect, which quantifies the increase in cumulative air temperature from soil temperature increase caused by mulching, provides an effective method for incorporating soil temperature into crop models. In this study, compensated temperature was integrated into the AquaCrop model to investigate the capability of the compensatory effect to improve assessment of the promotion of maize growth and development by plastic film mulching(PM). A three-year experiment was conducted from2014 to 2016 with two maize varieties(spring and summer) and two mulching conditions(PM and non-mulching(NM)), and the AquaCrop model was employed to reproduce crop growth and yield responses to changes in NM, PM, and compensated PM. A marked difference in soil temperature between NM and PM was observed before 50 days after sowing(DAS) during three growing seasons. During sowing–emergence and emergence–tasseling, the increase in air temperature was proportional to the compensatory coefficient, with spring maize showing a higher compensatory temperature than summer maize. Simulation results for canopy cover(CC) were generally in good agreement with the measurements, whereas predictions of aboveground biomass and grain yield under PM indicated large underestimates from 60 DAS to the end of maturity. Simulations of spring maize biomass and yield showed general increase based on temperature compensation, accompanied by improvement in modeling accuracy, with RMSEs decreasing from 2.5 to 1.6 t ha^(-1)and from 4.1 t to 3.4 t ha^(-1). Improvement in biomass and yield simulation was less pronounced for summer than for spring maize, implying that crops grown during low-temperature periods would benefit more from the compensatory effect. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of the temperature compensatory effect to improve the performance of the AquaCrop model in simulating maize growth under PM practices.

Mulching broad ridges with a woven polypropylene fabric increases the growth and yield of young pear trees ‘Yuluxiang' in the North China Plain

Unlike traditional ridging, mulching broad ridges with a woven polypropylene fabric (WPF) can reduce soil evaporation during the drought season and avoid long saturation time in the root zone of pear trees during the rainy season. In this study, field experiments were conducted from 2017 to 2020 in a pear orchard in the North China Plain to investigate the effects of mulching broad ridges (0.3 m in height and 2 m in width) with WPF on soil temperature and moisture, nitrogen leaching, vegetative and reproductive growth of young pear trees(Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd.‘Yuluxiang’). The experiments involved two treatments, namely, control (traditional no-ridge planting without mulching) and mulching broad ridges with WPF (RM treatment). The results showed that the RM treatment increased soil moisture and temperature and decreased nitrogen leaching, resulting in vigorous growth of the young pear trees. Moreover, the RM treatment increased the tree trunk cross-sectional area and height of the young pear trees by 37%and 8%in 2020, respectively. The nitrate nitrogen content at the soil layer depth of 0-30 cm was significantly higher in the RM than that in control. Furthermore, the RM treatment significantly increased the fruit yield due to larger tree size. In addition, compared with control, significantly higher fruit soluble solid content of RM treatment was detected in 2020. High precipitation (423 mm) occurred during fruit enlargement stage in 2020, RM treatment decreased the rainfall infiltration in the ridge and the soil moisture in root region, resulting in the improvement of fruit quality, compared with control.Therefore, mulching broad ridges with WPF can be implemented to increase soil moisture during drought season, soil temperature, and nitrate nitrogen content, thereby improving the growth and fruit yield of young pear trees. Additionally, it can reduce soil moisture in the root zone during the rainy season and improve the fruit quality of the trees. Finally, it can reduce nitrate nitrogen leaching, thereby reducing environmental pollution.

Green High-yield and High-efficiency Cultivation Techniques of Integrated Management of Water and Fertilizer for Maize under Mulch Drip Irrigation

The green high-yield and high-efficiency cultivation techniques of integrated management of water and fertilizer for maize under mulch drip irrigation are described from the aspects of high yield target of maize and its component factor indexes,pre-sowing preparation,sowing,post-sowing management,field management at the seedling stage,integrated management of water and fertilizer for target yield of maize,rational application of micro-fertilizer,comprehensive prevention and control of diseases and pests,timely harvest,etc.,in order to provide a reference for agricultural technicians,maize farmers and maize industry development in northern Xinjiang.

Performance Evaluation of Manually Operated Mulch Laying Machine on Different Soil Conditions

A machine with manual operation for mulch-laying machine with a punching arrangement was developed,and its performance was assessed at three different mulch paper thicknesses(15 m,20 m and 25 m),three different disc angles(35 degrees,40 degrees,and 45 degrees),three different punch spacings(250 mm,500 mm,and 1000 mm),and three different forward speeds(1.3 km/h,1.5 km/h,1.7 km/h)to investigate their effects on field capacity,effective field efficiency,and punching efficiency.Utilizing randomised block design and response surface methods,the experimental plan for optimization was created.All of the independent variables’combined effects on the dependent variables were found to be statistically significant.The influence of operating speed and mulch paper thickness was found to be the most significant on the dependent variable.The effective field capacity and field efficiency increased from 0.11 ha/h to 0.19 ha/h and 72.04 percent to 89.51 percent,respectively,by increasing mulch paper thickness from 15μm to 25μm and operating speed from 1.3 km/h to 1.7 km/h,whereas punching efficiency fell from 85.18 percent to 84.40 percent.Mulch paper of 15μm and a disc angle value of 40 degrees were optimised from the independent factors that were chosen for optimal soil covering over the laid plastic mulch sheet.Punching efficiency was maximised with performance optimised at 500 mm punch spacing.Additionally,the machine operated more efficiently at 1.5 km/h.

Effects of Different Gravel Mulching on Soil Moisture Status and Regression Model Prediction in Arid Regions

Drought is one of the main factors limiting the agricultural planting and production;gravel mulching is an effective inhibiting evaporation and water-saving planting pattern in the arid regions. In this study, experiments were conducted to study soil moisture effect and regression model with different gravel mulching, the soil moisture content and evaporation were compared that gravel mulched with different particle sizes, different thickness layer and different mulched years. The results showed that: 1) The cumulative soil evaporation of gravel mulched was only 29.3% of that bare fields. Mulching gravel could significantly reduce soil moisture evaporation. 2) The effects of inhibiting soil moisture evaporation are the best when mulch gravel thickness is 10 - 15 cm. 3) The particle size of gravel mulched is smaller, the evaporation inhibition effect will be better. Considering the water holding capacity and material economy, it is the most suitable to mulch gravel with the particle size of 3 - 5 cm. 4) Mulching gravel on the soil surface for 1 - 3 years can improve the soil moisture content. However, the gravel was mulched for more than five years, the soil moisture content decreased significantly. 5) The quadratic polynomial regression fitting model can better simulate and predict the cumulative evaporation on different gravel mulched, and the regression fitting degree R2 is more than 0.98.

The status and distribution characteristics of residual mulching film in Xinjiang, China

Pollution of residual plastic film in arable lands is a severe problem in China. In this study, the status of residual film and influential factors were investigated using the methods of farm survey in combination with questionnaires and quadrat sampling at a large number of field sites in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. The results showed that the amount of film utilization increased largely and reached to 1.8×10~5 t in 2013. Similarly, the mulching area also substantially increased in recent decades, and reached to 2.7×10~5 ha in the same year. According to the current survey, 60.7% of the sites presented a greater mulch residue than the national film residue standard(75 kg ha^(–1)), and the maximum residual amount reached 502.2 kg ha^(–1) in Turpan, Xinjiang. The film thickness, the mulching time and the crop type all influenced mulch residue. The thickness of the film had significantly negative correlation with the amount of residual film(P<0.05), while the mulching years had significantly positive correlation with it(P<0.05). The total amount of residual film in Xinjiang was 3.43×105 t in 2011, which accounted for 15.3% of the cumulative dosage of mulching. Among all the crops, the cotton fields had the largest residual amount of mulch film(158.4 kg ha^(–1)), and also the largest contribution(2.6×10~5 tons) to the total amount of residual film in Xinjiang.

A preliminary study of the effects of plastic film-mulched raised beds on soil temperature and crop performance of early-sown short-season spring maize(Zea mays L.) in the North China Plain

To identify a strategy for earlier sowing and harvesting of spring maize(Zea mays L.) in an alternative maize–maize double cropping system, a 2-year field experiment was performed at Quzhou experimental station of China Agricultural University in 2014 and 2015. A short-season cultivar, Demeiya number 1(KX7349), was used in the experiment. Soil temperature to 5 cm depth in the early crop growth stage, crop growth, crop yield, and water use of different treatments(plastic film-mulched raised bed(RF) and flat field without plastic film mulching(CK) in 2014; RF, plastic film-mulched flat field(FF), and CK in 2015)were measured or calculated and compared. Soil temperature in the film-mulched treatments was consistently higher than that in CK(1.6–3.5 °C in average) during the early growth stage. Crops in plastic film-mulched treatments used 214 fewer growing-degree days(GDDs) in 2014 and 262 fewer GDDs in 2015. In 2014, the RF treatment yielded 32.7%higher biomass than CK, although its 9.4% higher grain yield was not statistically significant. Also, RF used 17.9% less water and showed 33.1% higher water use efficiency(WUE) than CK. In 2015, RF and FF showed 56.2% and 49.5% higher yield, 15.0% and 4.5%lower water use(ET), and 63.4% and 75.7% higher WUE, respectively, than CK. RF markedly increased soil temperature in the early crop season, accelerated crop growth, reduced ET,and greatly increased crop yield and WUE. Compared with FF, RF had no obvious effect on crop growth rate, although soil temperature during the period between sowing and stem elongation was slightly increased. However, RF resulted in lower ET and higher WUE than FF. Effects of RF on soil water dynamics as well as its cost-effectiveness remain topics for further study.

Effects of soil moisture on cotton root length density and yield under drip irrigation with plastic mulch in Aksu Oasis farmland

Effects of soil moisture on cotton root length density (total root length per unit soil volume) and yield under drip irrigation with plastic mulch were studied through field experiments. The results indicate that spatial distributions of root length density of cotton under various water treatments were basically similar. Horizontally, both root length densities of cotton in wide and narrow rows were similar, and higher than that between mulches. Vertically, root length density of cotton decreased with increasing soil depth. The distribution of root length density is different under different irrigation treatments. In conditions of over-irrigation, the root length density of cotton between mulches would increase. However, it would decrease in both the wide rows and narrow rows. The mean root length density of cotton increased with increasing irrigation water. Water stress caused the root length density to increase in lower soil layers. There is a significant correlation between root length density and yields of cotton at the flower-boll and wadding stages. The regression between irrigation amount and yield of cotton can be expressed as y = -0.0026x2+18.015x-24845 (R2 = 0.959). It showed that the irrigation volume of 3,464.4 m3/hm2 led to op-timal root length density. The yield of cotton was 6,360 .8 kg/hm2 under that amount of irrigation.

Development of cork oak (Quercus suber L.) seedlings in response to tree shelters and mulching in northwestern Tunisia

The need for reforestation in cork oak (Quercus suber L.) areas is challenged by difficulties. Principal among these is herbivory of young plants, vegetative competition, and slow growth rates of cork oak seedlings. We evaluated the early development of cork oak seedlings treated using tree shelters and mulching in northwestern Tunisia. We tested three tree shelter treatments (non-vented, vented, and control) to shield seedlings from animal damage and five mulch types to control competing vegetation (Italian Stone Pine, Lentisk, combination of Italian Stone Pine and Lentisk (organic mulches), gravel (inorganic mulch) and no mulch). At the end of the two-year experiment, sheltered seedlings were 89-99% taller than unshelteredseedlings and had higher numbers and lengths of shoot growth flushes. In contrast, both stem diameter growth and dry weight biomass (from samples extracted after two years) were significantly reduced inside tree shelters. Root-to-shoot ratio was not significantly different in sheltered vs. unsheltered seedlings, suggesting that tree shelters do not adversely affect this parameter. Mulching alone did not favour growth, but could be beneficial when combined with tree shelters. The combination of vented tree shelters and gravel mulch was the most effective treatment for promoting diameter, height and stem volume growth.

Straw strip mulching in a semiarid rainfed agroecosystem achieves winter wheat yields similar to those of full plastic mulching by optimizing the soil hydrothermal regime

Straw strip mulching(SM)is a new mulching technology.From 2012 to 2018,SM’s effects on soil moisture and temperature and production performances were compared with other mulching practices,using three treatments:full-cover plastic mulch(PM),no mulch with wheat sown in rows as the control(CK),and SM with 50%to 59%of the field area mulched.Compared with CK,on average over six growing seasons,SM and PM increased grain yield by 27.0%and 21.7%,straw yield by 21.6%and 22.6%,kernels ha;by 26.6%and 19.0%,net income by 29.8%and-25.0%,soil temperature at 5 cm by-1.5°C and 0.2°C from overwintering to maturity,and soil water storage at 0–200 cm by 25 and 22 mm,respectively.The increase in soil moisture in SM and PM was greater in the early period(overwintering to jointing)than in the later period(booting to maturity)and at 0 to 120 cm than at 120–200 cm in the early period.Although the mean evapotranspiration of whole growth period across six seasons was similar among treatments,SM and PM increased water consumption during the key formation period of yield components after overwintering by 16 and 32 mm,respectively,while reducing it before overwintering.Compared with CK,SM and PM had the effects of warming during overwintering and cooling after jointing.By increasing water consumption after overwintering and ratio of transpiration to evapotranspiration and providing favorable soil temperature for multiple growth stages and more sufficient soil moisture,SM and PM promoted vegetative growth and increased kernels ha^(-1),the main mechanisms by which SM and PM increased grain yield relative to CK.Relative to PM,SM is a more economically beneficial and environment-friendly technology for dryland wheat production.

Mulching with plastic film improved the root quality of summersown sweet potato(Ipomoea batatas(L).Lam.)in northern China

The root quality of sweet potato cultivated during the summer season is poor in northern China;thus,this study was conducted to determine whether root quality could be improved through mulching with plastic film(MPF).The effect of MPF on root starch and its composition,the activity of starch synthesis enzymes,and other quality-related parameters were investigated in two purple flesh sweet potato cultivars,Jishu 18 and Ayamurasaki(Aya).The results indicated that root dry matter,anthocyanin content,adenosine triphosphate(ATP),and starch content were higher in both cultivars under the MPF treatment than those under the control treatment.The root adenosine diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase/uridine diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase(ADPGPPase/UDPGPPase)activity and adenosine triphosphatease(ATPase)activity were increased using MPF.However,under the MPF treatment,the amylose content,soluble sugar content,and granule-bound synthase(GBSS)activity increased in Jishu 18 but decreased in Aya,and the amylopectin content,protein content,and soluble starch synthase(SSS)activity decreased in Jishu 18 but increased in Aya.Therefore,MPF seems benifit to improve the quality of sweet potato,but the effects of this treatment condition may be dependent on the cultivar.

Effects of Mulching Mode on Canopy Physiological, Ecological Characteristics and Yield of Upland Rice

The effects of mulching mode on population physiology and ecology of rice were studied using a combination P88S/1128 as the material under three mulching cultivation modes including plastic film mulching, straw mulching and liquid film mulching, as well as bare cultivation (control). The results indicated that mulching mode had significant effects on micro-meteorological factors and individual growth of rice, as shown by an increase of relative humidity, a better internal micro-meteorological environment of rice population, a significant reduction under the rice canopy temperature, especially during high-temperature periods. Rice plants under mulching cultivation conditions displayed a stronger transpiration and lower leaf temperature, thereby improving the ability of anti-high temperature stress and markedly increasing the photosynthetic rate. Furthermore, the yield components of rice were significantly optimized under mulching cultivation, of which with plastic film mulching displayed the highest grain number per panicle and seed-setting rate, and a yield increase of 16.81% compared with the control; and with straw mulching displayed an increase of effective panicle number and a 9.59% increase of total yield compared to the control.

Physiological and biochemical appraisal for mulching and partial rhizosphere drying of cotton

Water is the main factor for the healthy life of plant.One of the main negative effects of climate change is the increasing scarcity of water that is lethal for plant.Globally,for water deficit regions(arid and semi-arid),drought is the main factor responsible for low production of agriculture,especially for cotton.Great efforts have been and are being made to find alternatives to water saving practices.This study aimed to examine the effects of partial rhizosphere drying(PRD,half of the root system irrigated at one event,and the other half irrigated in the next event,and so on)with and/or without various mulching treatments on physiological and biochemical traits of cotton.To explore this objective,we laid out experiments in completely randomized design with factorial arrangement in the Islamia University of Bahawalpur,Pakistan in 2016.Two factors included were four mulching treatments(M0,no mulching;M1,black plastic mulching;M2,wheat straw mulching;and M3,cotton sticks mulching)and two irrigation levels(I0,control(full irrigation);and I1,PRD).Fisher's analysis of variance among means of treatments was compared using least significant difference test at 5% probability level.Results revealed that the maximum plant height,leaf area,leaf gas exchange(photosynthetic rate and stomata conductance),chlorophyll,proline and total sugar contents,and enzyme activities were higher under M2 than under other three mulching treatments.As for irrigation levels,higher values of plant height,photosynthesis and water related parameters(leaf water potential,leaf osmotic potential,leaf turgor potential,etc.)were recorded.Contents of total sugar and proline and activities of antioxidant enzymes were significantly higher in PRD-treated plants than in control plants.It was concluded that combined application of PRD and mulching was more effective than the rest of the treatments used in the experiment.Similar study can be conducted in the field by applying irrigation water in alternate rows in semi-arid regions.

Influence of mulching and tree shelters on 4-year survival and growth of zeen oak (Quercus canariensis) seedlings

We assessed the effect of mulching and tree shelters on the establishment and early growth of zeen oak(Quercus canariensis Willd.) during the first 4 years after planting in Northwestern Tunisia. Five mulch types(Italian Stone Pine(Pinus pinea L.), Lentisk(Pistacia lentiscus L.),and a combination of Italian Stone Pine and Lentisk(organic mulches), gravel(inorganic mulch) and control), and three tree shelter types(non-vented and vented tree shelters, and control) were tested. An increase in the number of internodes occurred under the gravel mulch, while a reduction in survival was found for the lentisk mulch. Tree shelters had no effect on survival, but increased mean height growth and reduced mean diameter growth during the 4 years(excepting a non-significant effect for vented tree shelter at year four). Comparison of the annual shoots and growth units(GU) between sheltered and unsheltered plants according to year of formation revealed two growth phases. In first phase, shoots were totally or partially inside the shelters; mean length of annual shoots and GU were greater for sheltered plants. The second phase was characterized by shoots emerging from shelters; mean length of annual shoots and GU were similar for all plants, with or without tree shelters. Results suggest that the use of tree shelters, particularly vented shelters, could contribute to the improvement of the artificial regeneration of zeen oak.The use of mulching alone or in combination with tree shelters did not improve zeen oak performance in the field.