Mulch Treatments Research Articles

Soil erosion modelling of burned and mulched soils following a Mediterranean forest wildfire

AbstractSoil erosion modelling applied to burned forests in different global regions can be unreliable because of a lack of verification data. Here, we evaluated the following three erosion models: (1) Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP), (2) Morgan‐Morgan‐Finney (MMF) and (3) Universal Soil Loss Equation‐Modified (USLE‐M). Using field plots that were either untreated or mulched with straw, this study involved observations of soil loss at the event scale at a burned pine forest in Central Eastern Spain. The erosion predictions of the three models were analysed for goodness‐of‐fit. Optimization of the MMF model with a new procedure to estimate the C‐factor resulted in a satisfactory erosion prediction capacity in burned plots with or without the mulching treatment. The WEPP model underestimated erosion in the unburned areas and largely overestimated the soil loss in burned areas. The accuracy of soil loss estimation by the USLE‐M model was also poor. Calibration of the curve numbers and C‐factors did not improve the USLE‐M model estimation. Therefore, we conclude that an optimized MMF model was the most accurate way to estimate soil loss and recommend this approach for in Mediterranean burned forests with or without postfire mulching. This study gives land managers insight about the choice of the most suitable model for erosion predictions in burned forests.

EFFECT OF SHADING AND MULCHING ON THE GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF Andrographis paniculata Burm f.

Andrographis paniculata Burm f. is herbal plant that has shown potential for commercialisation. To obtain optimal production, proper plant management techniques must be identified. Therefore, this study aims to determine the effects of shading and mulching materials on the growth of A. paniculata. The study employed both shading and non-shading treatments to examine the effects, and five different types of mulching treatment were utilised: Non-mulched, coconut husk, rice husk, gravel, and sand. The results revealed that there were no significant differences between plants grown with or without shading, as well as between plants with or without mulching. Therefore, it was concluded that A. paniculata can survive and grow under both shaded and direct sunlight conditions, without the necessity of mulching. However, if mulching is deemed necessary, it is recommended to utilise finer materials that can easily decompose in the soil. This study represents an original idea that was developed and carried out to answer questions related to the cultivation of A. paniculata.

Pengaruh Macam Mulsa terhadap Pertumbuhan dan Hasil Tanaman Bawang Merah

This study aims to determine the type of mulch that is effective for suppressing weed growth and the effect of using mulch on the growth of shallots (Allium ascalonicum L.). The research was carried out from September 2021 to December 2021 in the village of Central Jlko, Plosorejo, Matesih, Karanganyar Regency with an altitude of 380 meters above sea level and soil of the brown Litosol type. This research method used a Completely Randomized Block Design (RAKL) method consisting of one factor (single factor) and repeated 6 times with the following levels: A1: Without mulch, A2: Use of straw mulch, A3: Use of silver black plastic mulch, and A4: Use of husk mulch. The research results were analyzed using ANOVA or 5% variance. If it is significantly different, then continue with the Duncan's Multiple Range Test (DMRT) which shows that the type of mulch has a significant effect on shallot yields and has no significant effect on shallot growth. Silver black plastic mulch treatment (A3) was better than treatment without mulch (A1), straw mulch (A2), and rice husk mulch (A4) in inhibiting weed growth.

Effect of Different Mulches and Planting Beds On Growth and Yield of Bitter Gourd in Coastal Saline Soils

A field experiment was carried out in coastal saline soils of Bangladesh in 2018, 2019 and 2020 to evaluate the effect of different kinds of mulches and planting beds to reduce salt accumulation in the soil and to increase the yield of bitter gourd. The experiment was laid out in a factional randomized complete block design having two kinds of mulches: viz. rice straw mulch and polythene mulch along with no mulch control and three kinds of planting beds: viz. convex bed, flat bed and concave bed. The polythene mulch treatment had highest fruit yield of 21.86, 27.20 and 20.49 t ha-1, respectively followed by rice straw mulch and no mulch control treatment in 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. Polythene mulch reduced electrical conductivity of soil by 31% and soil sodium content by 42% compared to no mulch treatment. Polythene mulch also increased soil temperature and gravimetric soil moisture content which promoted plant growth. The convex bed method produced highest mean fruit yield of 18.37, 20.06 and 15.18 t ha-1 followed by the flat bed and concave bed method in the year 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. Combined use of polythene mulch and convex bed planting could provide greatest benefit to the farmers. The polythene mulch along with convex bed planting is therefore, recommended to get higher yield of bitter gourd and to reduce detrimental effect of salt on crop in coastal saline soils. Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 46(1): 71-87, March 2021

Hydrological characteristics of different organic materials mulches

The study aims to find the properties of three organic mulch varieties and their effects on soil moisture and crop growth. Three organic mulches: newspaper, grass, and bran were selected as the research objects, and were analyzed through double-ring infiltration and water loss tests so that water permeability and water-holding capacity of the three mulching materials could be figured out. The results showed the descending order of the three mulching treatments and non-treatment by the infiltration rate of the soil: newspaper > bare ground > grass > bran. In terms of the water-holding capacity, the three organic mulches can be ranked from high to low as newspaper, grass, and bran; by the cumulative water loss as newspaper, grass, and bran; and by water-retention capacity as bran, grass, and newspaper, respectively. By conducting regression analysis, it is found that the water-holding capacity of the mulches is related to water immersion time and the amount of water absorbed and that there is a significant logarithmic relationship between the amount of water loss and water losing time. The fitting results of the three mulches are good. Besides, a power-function relationship exists between water absorption rate and immersion time, and between water loss rate and water loss time. The water infiltration of the soil under the newspaper mulching treatment is the best, as the newspaper can help to improve soil moisture and weaken surface runoff under flood irrigation and heavy rain. Bran possesses the strongest capacity for water retention, which is beneficial to soil moisture retention in areas where sprinkler irrigation, drip irrigation, and light to moderate rain prevail. The research results can provide a basis for improving the moisture-utilization efficiency in farmlands by using organic mulches.

Soil erosion control from trash residues at varying land slopes under simulated rainfall conditions.

Trash mulches are remarkably effective in preventing soil erosion, reducing runoff-sediment transport-erosion, and increasing infiltration. The study was carried out to observe the sediment outflow from sugar cane leaf (trash) mulch treatments at selected land slopes under simulated rainfall conditions using a rainfall simulator of size 10 m × 1.2 m × 0.5 m with the locally available soil material collected from Pantnagar. In the present study, trash mulches with different quantities were selected to observe the effect of mulching on soil loss reduction. The number of mulches was taken as 6, 8 and 10 t/ha, three rainfall intensities viz. 11, 13 and 14.65 cm/h at 0, 2 and 4% land slopes were selected. The rainfall duration was fixed (10 minutes) for every mulch treatment. The total runoff volume varied with mulch rates for constant rainfall input and land slope. The average sediment concentration (SC) and sediment outflow rate (SOR) increased with the increasing land slope. However, SC and outflow decreased with the increasing mulch rate for a fixed land slope and rainfall intensity. The SOR for no mulch-treated land was higher than trash mulch-treated lands. Mathematical relationships were developed for relating SOR, SC, land slope, and rainfall intensity for a particular mulch treatment. It was observed that SOR and average SC values correlated with rainfall intensity and land slope for each mulch treatment. The developed models' correlation coefficients were more than 90%.

Effect of Mulching and Amount of Water on the Yield of Tomato under Furrow Irrigation

Maintaining optimal soil water content through the growing season of tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) is required for optimal plant yield and yield components especially in semi arid regions. However, there is limited information on optimum water management practices, or deficit irrigation that would increase tomato crop yield and yield components when irrigation is used. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of mulch and amount of water on the yield of tomato under furrow irrigation system and to assess the potential of deficit irrigation to improve the economic efficiency of tomato production at Pawe Agricultural Research Center, during 2020/2021 cropping season. A factorial combination of four levels of water (namely 50% ETc, 75% ETc, 100% ETc and 125% ETc) combined with three mulch treatments (namely without mulch, dry elephant grass mulch and dry banana leaf mulch) were arranged in randomized complete block design replicated three times. Interaction effects of amount of water and mulching materials significantly affected fruit length, fruit diameter, marketable and total fruit yield. Number of fruits and average of fruit weight were significantly affected by amount of water. Significant difference was also shown among mulch treatments on number of fruits and average fruit weight. The highest net benefit (428, 195.60 birr ha-1) and marginal rate of return (1318%) were obtained from the combination of 75% ETc amount of irrigation and elephant grass mulch. Therefore, application of 75% ETc with grass mulch was found to be economically and agronomically feasible and is recommended for Pawe and its surrounding and other similar agro-ecologies under furrow irrigation system.

Management of ginger bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum) epidemics by soil solarization and botanical mulching at Tepi, Southwestern Ethiopia

Ginger is one of the most valuable cash crops for farmers in different parts of Ethiopia. Bacterial wilt disease, caused by Ralstonia solanacearum, creates major limitation to production of ginger in Ethiopia. Heavy losses due to the disease occur regularly, causing an additional impediment for production in infected areas. Field tests were conducted at Tepi, South- Western Ethiopia, during the 2019 and 2020 main cropping seasons to assess the effects of soil solarization and botanical mulch on epidemics of bacterial wilt of ginger. Four soil solarization periods, lasting two, four, six or eight weeks before planting were integrated with four different botanical mulch treatments after planting: vetivar grass, lemon grass, Chinese chive and Lantana camara. Unsolarized and unmulched plots were used as the control for comparison. Treatments were arranged in factorial arrangements with randomized complete block design with three replications. The outcomes indicated that soil solarization integrated with lemon grass mulch treatments significantly reduced bacterial wilt mean incidence by 22.1% up to 42.2%, compared to control plots. These treatments also dramatically reduced AUDPC and disease progress rates. Soil solarization for eight weeks integrated with lemon grass mulch resulted in the lowest (42.2%) final mean disease severity and AUDPC (33.8%) in comparison to the control. Typical results of this study indicated that soil solarization integrated with botanical mulch treatments were effective in slowing dawn the epidemics of bacterial wilt and in recovering ginger production and productivity, and they are consequently recommended for application in the study areas along with other crop management schemes.

Effects of mulching and micronutrients on growth, yield and quality of carrot (Daucus carota L.)

Carrot (Daucus carota L.) is one of the most important root vegetables of Bangladesh. Mulching and micronutrients have strong effect on growth, yield and quality of carrot. An experiment was conducted at the Horticulture Farm of the Department of Horticulture, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during the period from November 2021 to February 2022 to examine the effect of mulching and micronutrients on growth, yield and quality of carrot. The two-factor experiment consisted of four mulching treatments viz. control (no mulch), water hyacinth, rice straw and black polythene, and four types of micronutrients viz. control (no micronutrient), boron (3 kg/ha), zinc (2 kg/ha), boron+ zinc (3+2 kg/ha). The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three replications. Result of the experiment revealed that application of mulching materials and different levels of micronutrients alone or in combination significantly influenced all the parameters studied. The highest gross yield of root (29.4 t/ha) was obtained from black polythene mulch. The lowest gross yield of root (14.9 t/ha) was obtained from control (no mulch) treatment. The highest gross yield of root (31.7 t/ha) was obtained from (boron+ zinc) micronutrient treatment. On the contrary, the lowest gross yield of root (13.3 t/ha) was obtained from control treatment. Among the treatment combinations, the highest gross yield of root (39.8 t/ha) was obtained from Black polythene with (boron+ zinc) micronutrient treatment. On the contrary, the lowest gross yield of root (10.6 t/ha) was obtained from control treatment. The highest gross was obtained from black polythene mulch with (boron+ zinc) micronutrient treatment. Therefore, application of black polythene mulch along with combined treatment (boron+ zinc) was found to be better in respect of growth, yield and quality of carrot.

The other way around: the utility of a plant invader

Abstract Invasive species control management involves a large amount of plant material. The present work evaluated the allelopathic potential of the invasive species Ulex europaeus L. (Fabaceae) or ‘Gorse’ and its possible use as a bioherbicide, taking advantage of the extracted plant material after control measures, particularly needed in invaded areas. Specifically, we investigated the efficacy of dried plant material from U. europaeus in the control of the adventitious plants, Lolium multiflorum Lam. and Lolium rigidum Gaud., using the Avena sativa L. crop as a case study. We only used vegetative plant parts because it is essential to avoid the dispersion of U. europaeus with its use, especially in invaded areas. A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted, using activated carbon (AC). The target species (L. multiflorum, L. rigidum and A. sativa) were subjected to a mixture of organic substrate with U. europaeus mulch applied pre-emergence and a subsequent application of aqueous extracts from the mulch. Emergence, height and biomass of the target species were determined. After 2 months, we also tested a possible legacy effect of the substrate on the germination of the target species. We noticed a negative effect of U. europaeus mulch on the emergence of L. rigidum, which can be attributable to the allelopathic compounds released from U. europaeus mulch because the effect was non-significant in presence of AC. Conversely, no effect on L. multiflorum or A. sativa was produced by mulch treatments. Nevertheless, the combination of U. europaeus mulch and its extracts demonstrated a phytotoxic effect on the biomass of the crop species A. sativa, and a fertilizing effect on the weeds L. multiflorum and L. rigidum, which is why this use is discouraged. With our results we cannot recommend the use of U. europaeus as a bioherbicide in oat crops, but this study emphasizes the capability of U. europaeus to structure plant communities through the chemic- and bio-properties of its tissues that modifies the soil environment.

采伐剩余物管理对杉木人工林土壤nosZ型反硝化细菌群落多样性的影响

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 采伐剩余物管理对杉木人工林土壤nosZ型反硝化细菌群落多样性的影响 DOI: 10.5846/stxb202111153204 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家重点研发计划专题(2017YFC050550204);国家重点研发计划专题(2022YFF130300203) Effects of logging residue management on soil nosZ-type denitrifying bacteria community diversity in a Chinese fir plantation Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:反硝化细菌是土壤氧化亚氮(N2O)排放的关键因子。以杉木人工林为研究对象,设置4种采伐剩余物处理方式(RF:对照;RB:火烧;MT:粉碎;NR:移除),采用高通量测序技术,以nosZ为标记基因,测定了自2018年9月-2020年9月,2年期间土壤nosZ型反硝化细菌群落的组成和丰度。研究结果显示,4种采伐剩余物处理中的土壤nosZ 型反硝化细菌90%以上来自变形菌门,优势菌属包括固氮螺菌属、中慢生根瘤菌属、动胶菌属、伯克霍尔德菌属、嗜酸菌属、慢生根瘤菌属、假单胞菌属、固氮弧菌属以及无色杆菌属;样本间差异物种的显著性分析表明,在处理完成半年时,火烧相较于对照于β-变形菌纲水平显著增加了nosZ基因丰度;在处理完成一年时,火烧分别于红螺菌目、红螺菌科、固氮螺菌属水平显著高于粉碎;粉碎相较于移除在处理完成一年时,于γ-变形菌纲和产碱菌科水平显著增加了nosZ基因丰度;在处理完成两年时,粉碎处理的nosZ基因丰度在变形菌门水平显著高于对照和火烧。α多样性数据显示,处理完成一年时,粉碎处理相较于对照和移除显著增加了Shannon和Simpson指数;处理完成两年时,粉碎和火烧处理相较于对照显著降低了ACE和Chao1指数。杉木人工林4种采伐剩余物处理方式对土壤nosZ 型反硝化细菌群落的组成和丰度有显著影响,并随研究时间发生明显变化,这为全面了解人工林采伐更新方式下土壤氮循环过程中N2O排放的微生物机理提供了数据基础。 Abstract:Denitrifying bacteria was the key factor of soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emission. Taking Chinese fir plantation as the research object, four treatments of logging residues were set up (RF, reference; RB, residue burning; MT, mulching treatment; NR, no residues), using high-throughput sequencing technology and nosZ as marker gene, the composition and abundance of soil nosZ-type denitrifying bacteria community were determined from September 2018 to September 2020. The results showed that more than 90% of soil nosZ-type denitrifying bacteria came from Proteobacteria in the four treatments, and the dominant bacteria included Azospirillum, Mesorhizobium, Zoogloea, Burkholderia, Acidovorax, Bradyrhizobium, Pseudomonas, Azoarcus and Achromobacter. The results of significance analysis between samples in different species showed that the nosZ gene abundance at Betaproteobacteria level was significantly increased in RB compared with RF after the treatment of half a year. After one year, the Rhodospirillales, Rhodospirillaceae and Azospirillum in RB were significantly higher than those in MT. Compared with NR, the abundance of nosZ gene was significantly increased in Gammaproteobacteria and Alcaligenaceae in MT after one year of treatment. The nosZ gene abundance at Proteobacteria level was also significantly higher in MT than that in RF and RB after two years of treatment. The alpha diversity data showed that the Shannon and Simpson indexes in MT were significantly increased compared with those in RF and NR after one year of treatment. After two years of treatment, ACE and Chao1 indexes in MT and RB were significantly lower than those in RF. The four different logging residue treatments in Chinese fir plantation had significant effects on the composition and abundance of soil nosZ-type denitrifying bacteria community, which changed significantly with the study time, providing a data basis for comprehensively understanding of the microbial mechanism of N2O emission of soil nitrogen cycling process under different forest cutting and regeneration methodology. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

The effect of different types of mulch and different cultivation methods on the quantitative and qualitative traits of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in Ahvaz climate

To investigate the effect of mulch and different cultivation methods on the quantitative and qualitative yield of oil sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in Ahvaz climate, a factorial experiment in randomized complete blocks with three replications in the 2017-2018 crop year was in the research farm of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan. The first factor includes different types of mulch in five levels (non-application, wheat straw, white plastic, live mulch (mung bean cultivation), and black plastic) and the second factor includes three-level cultivation method (on a flat surface, ridge cultivation, and inside the furrow cultivation). The results showed that in the flat surface and on the ridge, black plastic produced the highest amount of chlorophyll a, b, and In the inside the furrow, the highest chlorophyll a was obtained in the application of living mulch. The highest grain yield and oil yield were obtained from the interaction of wheat straw mulch × in the furrow and wheat straw mulch on the ridge. In addition, the highest harvest index was obtained in the treatment of white plastic mulch on a flat surface with an average of 51.85%. In general, it can be said that the treatment of wheat straw and straw × in the inside the furrow and wheat straw × on the ridge were superior in terms of quantitative and qualitative performance.

Effects of some control methods on Johnson grass and yield components in tomato fields

Johnson grass is one of the most dangerous and difficult to control weeds. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of different control methods on Johnson grass in tomato fields and to investigate the effect of these methods on the phenological stages and yield indicators of tomatoes. The study was carried out during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. The experiment treatments were as follows: hand hoe, mulch, preemergence herbicide pendimethalin (5 L/ha), postemergence herbicide fluazifop-P-butyl (1 L/ha), and control parcels. The number of flowers, the number of branches, and the length of the plant were determined in tomato. The yield and characteristics of the fruit were calculated and the fruits were analyzed. For Johnson grass, the time for germination, flowering, and seed maturity were determined. Plant height, fresh and dry biomass weight of weed, and rhizomes were also calculated. The results of this experiment showed that the best yield was 64.943 kg/ha in the hand hoe and the fluazifop-P-butyl treatment. The lowest density and fresh biomass of Johnson grass were detected in the fluazifop-P-butyl (217.3 stem/mm$^{2}$, 1009.4 g/m$^{2}$) and the mulch (251.7 stem/mm$^{2}$, 1355.2 g/m$^{2}$) treatments, respectively. The highest density and fresh biomass were detected in control parcels (448.8 stem/m$^{2}$, 3239.2 g/ m2), and in the pendimethalin treatment (334.2 stem/m$^{2}$, 1956.4 g/m$^{2}$), respectively. The percentage of lost yield in the control parcels was 90.1%. Hand hoe was found to be the most effective control method against Johnson grass followed by fluazifop-P-butyl, mulch, and pendimethalin.

PENGARUH BERBAGAI JENIS MULSA TERHADAP PERTUMBUHAN DAN HASIL KEMBANG KOL (Brassica oleracea var. Botrytis L) VARIETAS PM 126 F1

This study aims to determine the effect of various types of mulch on the growth and yield of cauliflower varieties PM 126 F1. To determine the effectiveness of various mulches compared to MPHP on the growth and yield of cauliflower varieties PM 126 F1. This research was conducted in the experimental field of the Faculty of Agriculture, Samudra University, Langsa City, Aceh Province with an altitude of ± 10 meters above sea level. This research was conducted from January to March 2022. This study was structured using a non-factorial randomized block design (RAK). The factors observed were several types of mulch, consisting of 13 mulch with 1 cauliflower variety PM 126 F1 which was repeated 3 times. Parameters observed included plant height, number of leaves, weight of plant stover, flower diameter, weight of plant flowers and production per hectare. The results showed that the type of mulch treatment significantly affected the parameters of plant height at 20 HST, number of leaves aged 20 HST and plant weight of wet stover at harvest. However, it did not significantly affect the parameters of flower diameter and plant flower weight and production per hectare at harvest. The best results were obtained by treatment M6 (empty palm oil bunches), M1 (MPHP), but equally good with M10 (broken bricks) and M11 (used cloth). To cultivate cauliflower plants it is recommended to use mulch of empty palm oil bunches, MPHP, broken bricks or used cloth

Effects of Different Polyethylene Mulch Colors on Greenhouse Cucumber Cultivation

In this study, effects of blue and black polyethylene mulches used together with drip irrigation on yield of Yağmur cucumber cultivar were investigated under greenhouse conditions and mulching treatments were compared with unmulched drip irrigation treatments. Experiments were conducted in a polycarbonate greenhouse in Kayseri province of Turkey in 2019. Throughout the growing season, 655 mm irrigation water was applied in drip+mulch treatments and 776 mm in unmulched drip irrigation treatments. Although 16% less water was applied in drip+mulch treatments, 37% more yield was obtained from drip+blue mulch treatments and 34% more from drip+black mulch treatments. The highest cucumber yields per decare (12296.7 and 11783.6 kg) were respectively obtained from drip+blue mulch and drip+black mulch treatments and the lowest (7771 kg) from unmulched drip irrigation treatments. The highest weed dry biomass (88.42 g m-2) was obtained from unmulched drip irrigation treatments. While the effects of mulching treatments on weed biomass were found to be significant as compared to unmulched treatments, blue and black mulches were not significantly different.

Effects of straw mulching on soil nutrient content and microbial community on the gentle slope arable land in dryland farming

ABSTRACT Straw mulching (SM) is recognized as an effective management practice to alter soil nutrient translocation on the gentle slope arable land. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of straw mulching on soil nutrient content and microbial community. The two-year experiment involved six treatments: experiment slopes (3, 6, and 9°, 20 m long) and mulching (i.e. only maize straw (1.65 kg m−2) was mulched, and no mulch). Straw mulching treatments increased the levels of soil available nitrogen (AN), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (AP), and total phosphorus (TP) at three different soil slopes. The AN content for 9° slopes straw mulching (NS) was 69.4% higher than 9° slopes no straw mulching (N), and also enhanced bacterial richness and diversity. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes for NS were 48.3% and 76.7% larger than N treatment, respectively. Ascomycota was higher in 6° slopes straw mulching (55.3%) followed by NS (53.5%). In all, our findings showed that the application of straw mulching was a better approach for the restoration of slopy arable land (especially in arable land with high slope) fertility based on enhancing soil nutrient and microbial community.

The Effect of Mulching on the Biological and Physical Properties of Soil in Maize

To study the effect of different mulching levels on the physical and biological properties of the soil. A field experiment was conducted in Gödöllő Szárítópuszta of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences experimental farm (Pest county). The experiment was laid down in a random block design with five treatments, namely M0%= control, M25%= 25%, M50%= 50%, M75%= 75%, and M100%= 100% level of mulch cover. Soil moisture content (SMC), soil penetration resistance (SPR) and earthworm abundance were measured. SMC, SPR and earthworm abundance were taken at 15-day intervals unless the weather prevented sampling. The experiment was set up from May 2019 until September 2019. The statistical data was carried out using one-way variance analysis with Tukey HSD (Honestly Significant Difference) multiple comparisons post hoc tests. The significance level used in the statistical studies was 5%. Mulch treatments improved water significantly in the first two months (June and July) of crop growth at 10 and 20 cm, however, moisture was not conserved for too long. Mulch treatment did not affect penetration resistance in all treatments. SPR was high after July in all the treatments due to low SMC. The measured SPR reached 5.3 MPa in August in M25%. The highest earthworm abundance was measured at M100% in August while the lowest was measured in control treatments. The grain yield was highest at M50% (1704 kg/ha) compared to the control. Mulch treatments were assessed based on factors such as soil moisture content, biological activity and penetration resistance and mulch was partially found to be advantageous.

How Different Mulch Materials Regulate Soil Moisture and Microbiological Activity?

As a result of climate change, the frequency of droughts across Europe is showing an increasing trend. The solution to this problem can be various soil cover techniques, which help to preserve soil moisture and soil biological activity, thereby increasing crop yield. In our research, we examined how different mulch materials affect the regulation of soil moisture and the microbiological activity of the soil. The experiments were set up on two sites: a sandy soil with a low soil organic matter content (Királyhalom, Serbia) and an coarse loamy soil with a higher water capacity (Thessaloniki, Greece). The treatments were set up in 4 repetitions with pepper plants (Capsicum annuum L.). Daily intensive irrigation with wool mulch, agrotextile, straw mulch and control treatments was used on the Serbian site. The irrigation was carried out every 6 days at the Greek site, where the treatments were as follows: wool mulch with plants, wool mulch without plants, plants without mulch and the control without plants. The yield was measured, and the moisture content, β-glucosidase activity and active (permanganate oxidizable) carbon content of the soils at the time of sampling were examined every 2 weeks. In the Serbian area, wool mulch showed significantly lower β-glucosidase activity compared to the other treatments. This was presumably due to the good water absorption capacity of the wool mulch and the fact that the soil could not aerate in addition to the intensive irrigation, thus the enzyme activity decreased. All mulch treatments increased the active carbon content compared to the untreated control, with the straw mulch to the greatest extent. In the extensively irrigated Greek soil, β-glucosidase was significantly higher in pepper plots covered with wool mulch compared to the control area without plants, but also higher compared to pepper plots not covered with wool mulch. The higher yield results measured on the mulched plots indicate that, in addition to water retention, biological activity also plays a major role in the development of yields. The effect of each mulching method on soil biological activity depends on the degradability of the mulch material, the frequency of irrigation, and the soil's water-holding capacity.

Growth and Yield of Granolla Bulbs on Organic Mulch and POC Formulation

The research was conducted from June to December 2019, Rejang Lebong Regency. on a plateau 600 m above sea level. Factorial Randomized Block Design (RBD) study. The first treatment was organic mulch (M), M1 = without mulch, M2 = banana leaves, M3 = rice husks, M4 = coffee husks. The POC (O) treatment is O0 = Without POC, O1 = POC 50 ml/liter of water, O2 = POC 75 ml/liter of water and O3 = POC 100 ml/liter of water. The number of plants is 288 potato seed tubers. The results of the variance of the single treatment of liquid fertilizer and single treatment of mulch had a very significant effect on: the number of main stems and shoots, fresh weight, stem diameter, but had no significant effect; plant height, number of tubers and dry weight. The combination of treatments had a very significant effect: number of main stems, plant height, number of shoots, fresh weight and tuber diameter. Liquid fertilizer and mulch have interactions: plant height, number of main stems, number of shoots, wet weight and tuber diameter.

Response of soil bacterial communities in wheat rhizosphere to straw mulching and N fertilization.

Straw mulching and N fertilization are effective in augmenting crop yields. Since their combined effects on wheat rhizosphere bacterial communities remain largely unknown, our aim was to assess how the bacterial communities respond to these agricultural measures. We studied wheat rhizosphere microbiomes in a split-plot design experiment with maize straw mulching (0 and 8,000 kg straw ha-1) as the main-plot treatment and N fertilization (0, 120 and 180 kg N ha-1) as the sub-plot treatment. Bacterial communities in the rhizosphere were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and quantitative PCR. Most of the differences in soil physicochemical properties and rhizosphere bacterial communities were detected between the straw mulching (SM) and no straw mulching (NSM) treatments. The contents of soil organic C (SOC), total N (TN), NH4 +-N, available N (AN), available P (AP) and available K (AK) were higher with than without mulching. Straw mulching led to greater abundance, diversity and richness of the rhizosphere bacterial communities. The differences in bacterial community composition were related to differences in soil temperature and SOC, AP and AK contents. Straw mulching altered the soil physiochemical properties, leading to greater bacterial diversity and richness of the rhizosphere bacterial communities, likely mostly due to the increase in SOC content that provided an effective C source for the bacteria. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria was high in all treatments and most of the differentially abundant OTUs were proteobacterial. Multiple OTUs assigned to Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi and Actinobacteria were enriched in the SM treatment. Putative plant growth promoters were enriched both in the SM and NSM treatments. These findings indicate potential strategies for the agricultural management of soil microbiomes.