Abstract
Effect of white Styrofoam mulch on the growth of sweet clover in the greenhouse was studied at two levels of phosphorus fertilizer and with three methods of watering. The use of mulch significantly increased dry matter yield and uptake of applied phosphorus. When phosphorus was not limiting, self-irrigated pots of soil produced better growth than pots which were watered manually.A [Formula: see text] layer of Styrofoam served a dual purpose under the conditions of this test. Pots of soil with mulch not only gave a marked response in growth, but they also required less than one-third as much water to produce 1 gram of dry matter as pots with a bare soil surface. The possibility that the light reflected by Styrofoam increased photosynthetic activity in the sweet clover is being studied further.
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