Soil Temperature and Tomato Root Growth Under Black Polyethylene and Hairy Vetch Mulches

Abstract

Temperature and root length at selected locations within a raised bed under black polyethylene (BP), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) residue (HV), or bare soil (BS) were measured and correlated with tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) growth. Early in the season, before the tomato leaf canopy closed, soil temperature was influenced more by vertical depth in the bed than by horizontal location across the bed. Maximum soil temperatures under BP averaged 5.7 and 3.4C greater than those under HV at 5- and 15-cm depths, respectively. More hours at temperatures >20C during the first 4 weeks probably accounted for greater early root and shoot growth and greater early yield of tomatoes grown in BP rater than in HV or BS. After canopy closure, soil temperatures under tomato foliage were reduced compared to those on the outer edge of the beds. Most tomato roots were in areas of the bed covered by the tomato canopy where temperatures in all treatments remained in the optimum 20 to 30C range almost continuously. Soil temperature, therefore, did not explain why total yield was higher in the HV than the BP or BS treatments.