Abstract
Weeds are a challenge, particularly in organic agriculture, due to restrictions on the application of synthetic herbicides and chemicals. A preliminary cultivar evaluation trial of organic sweetpotato was conducted in 2015 at Tennessee State University certified organic farm. Three mulches: wheat straw, pine needle, and black plastic mulch, along with a control (no mulch), were evaluated for their weed management abilities in a sweetpotato field. Four cultivars of sweetpotato were planted in 0.91 m wide mulch beds with 0.3 m row spacing anddrip irrigated with four replications. Data was collected during the growing season on the dry weight of weeds that emerged in a quadrat and yield components at harvest. Results of two-way ANOVA revealed that mulch treatments affected the weed biomass, weed density, and cull yields. Though the use of mulches had no significant effect on other yield components of sweetpotato in this study; it was beneficial for weed management.
Highlights
Weeds are a major challenge in agricultural production, in organic agriculture, where the use of synthetic herbicides and chemicals are prohibited in weed management
As supported by other studies, our results showed a significant increase in soil surface and depth temperatures (Figure 4a,b) in the black plastic mulch when compared to other mulches and the no mulch treatment
The results of this study suggest that black plastic mulch and wheat straw can provide viable weed control when compared to the no mulch treatment, and may be utilized to enhance weed management in organic sweetpotato fields
Summary
Weeds are a major challenge in agricultural production, in organic agriculture, where the use of synthetic herbicides and chemicals are prohibited in weed management. As such, managing weeds is a major economic constraint to the organic vegetable industry. Weeds traditionally meddle with harvests in the field beds [1] by meddling with machinery. They often rise with, or not long after, the crop has been sown and can considerably diminish yield [2], due to their competition with crops for nutrients, light, and water [3], unless controlled through cultivation or different means. Sweetpotato, Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam., are usually grown on exposed soil where weeds and soil erosion can be major issues [5]. The central aim of a good weed management program in an organic production system, involves implementing a range of procedures, for example, crop rotation, cover cropping, and mulching [6]
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