Optimum Range on Soil Physical Indicators Under Plastic Film House

Abstract

The water and nutrients in the soil can be absorbed by the crop root. The soil physical properties affect the growth and penetration of crop root. The objectives of this study were to determine soil physical indicators that could inhibit the crop growth under plastic film house, and to establish the appropriate soil physical criterion depending on crop types. The soil physical (including effective rhizosphere, soil three phase, and bulk density) and chemical (including pH, EC, organic matter content, and available phosphate) properties were investigated in the mainly cultivated area for greenhouse crops including lettuce, strawberry, cucumber, tomato, oriental melon, and water melon from 2015 to 2017. For plastic film house, soil physical indicators were commonly chosen as bulk density, air porosity, and effective root depth. The optimum ranges for plastic film house soil were as follows; deeper than 50 cm for effective root depth, less than 1.5 Mg m-3 for bulk density and more than 10% gas phase. The optimum range of soil physical indicators for crops cultivated greenhouse. Greenhouse crops Effective root depth (cm) Bulk density (Mg m-3) Gas phase (%) Lettuce, Strawberry, Cucumber, Tomato, Oriental melon, Watermelon above 50 below 1.5 above 10