THE EFFECT OF BLACK POLYETHYLENE MULCH ON YIELD OF FIELD-GROWN CUCUMBER

Act Sci. Pol., Hortorum Cultus 9(3) 2010, 221-229 THE EFFECT OF BLACK POLYETHYLENE MULCH ON YIELD OF FIELD-GROWN CUCUMBER Tomsz Spiżewski, Brbr Frąszczk, Alin Kłużewicz, Włodzimierz Krzesiński, Jolnt Lisieck Poznń University of Life Sciences Abstrct. Cucumber is one of the most populr vegetbles in Polnd. This vegetble species is chrcterised by high requirements in terms of soil temperture nd moisture. The utiliztion of polyethylene mulch in combintion with drip irrigtion hs plyed mjor role in the increses in production of cucumber. The benefits ssocited with the use of this cultivtion method include erlier nd higher yields, reduced soil evportion, reduced weed popultions, reduced fertilizer leching, greter wter use efficiency, reduced soil compction, control of certin pests, nd clener hrvested product. In yers 2002, 2003 nd 2005 experiments were conducted to study the impct of soil mulching with blck polyethylene on Akord F 1 cucumber yields. Plnts were cultivted on sndy lom soil using irrigtion nd fertigtion pplied with the ssistnce of drip lines. No significnt differences were observed in levels of totl nd mrketble yields of fruits s well s in dry mtter nd totl crbohydrte contents in fruits obtined from plnts cultivted in mulched nd unmulched soils. Irrigtion efficiency, on the soil mulched with blck polyethylene ws higher thn on the soil without mulching. Key words: Cucumis stivus L., fruit yield, dry mtter, sugr content, irrigtion efficiency INTRODUCTION Polyethylene mulch hs been used in vegetble production for enhncement of erliness in yield, weed control, reduction of nutrient loss by leching, nd fvorble soil temperture nd moisture [Bhell nd Kwolek 1984, Sweeney et l. 1987, Bhell 1988]. Soil wter does not escpe from under polyethylene mulch. Plnt growth on mulch is often t lest twice tht on bre soil. The resulting lrger plnts will require more wter, so mulching is not substitute for irrigtion. Wter supply to plnts cultivted under plstic is possible only by drip irrigtion. Polyethylene mulch nd drip Corresponding uthor Adres do korespondencji: Tomsz Spiżewski, Deprtment of Vegetble Crops, Poznń University of Life Sciences, 159 Dąbrowskiego Str., 60-594 Poznń, e-mil: spizewsk@up.poznn.pl

222 T. Spiżewski, B. Frąszczk, A. Kłużewicz, W. Krzesiński, J. Lisieck irrigtion will increse cost of production. These costs should be offset by incresed income due to erlier hrvests, better qulity fruit nd higher yields. Kniszewski [1997], hs shown the highest yield of cucumber from trnsplnt when blck polyethylene mulching nd drip irrigtion were pplied. Drip irrigtion is lso very good solution for combining fertilistion with irrigtion, or, in other words, fertigtion. By employing fertigtion, it is possible to djust doses nd times of fertiliser ppliction to the ctul requirements of plnts, thus incresing yields, decresing fertiliser consumption nd limiting unfvourble effects of environmentl fctors on plnts [Hrtz nd Hochmuth 1996]. Polyethylene mulching, in combintion with drip irrigtion nd frequent injection of nutrients, cn be used in the irrigtion system (fertigtion) to enhnce wter nd nutrient use efficiency [Bowen nd Frey 2002].The beneficil influence of drip irrigtion nd fertigtion on the yield nd qulity of cucumbers cultivted in the field ws reported by Güler nd Ibrikci [2002]. The im of the investigtion ws to evlute the effect of mulching with blck polyethylene by drip irrigtion nd fertigtion on the yield nd fruit qulity of field-grown cucumber. MATERIALS AND METHODS The reserch ws crried out in yers 2002, 2003 nd 2005. The experiment ws set up in rndom block system, in four replictes, with one fctor hving two distinctive levels: blck polyethylene-mulched nd bre (unmulched) soil. Plnts were irrigted nd fertigted by Aqu-trxx drip lines mde by Toro, with drippers spced t distnce of 20 cm nd cpcity of 0.57 dm 3 h -1. The investigtions were crried out on sndy lom soil. The ph of the soil ws 6 6.5. Rye ws the forecrop for cucumber. In the second hlf of April, ploughing ws crried out to depth of pprox. 20 cm. Cucumber plnts of cv. Akord F 1 were grown from two-week-old trnsplnts, plnted in the field t spcing of 120 15 cm in the lst ten dys of My. The re of ech experimentl plot ws 10.8 m 2 (3,6 3 m). Oneweek before plnting, blck polyethylene mulch (0.6 m wide by 0.15 mm thick) nd drip lines were lid. Plnt irrigtion ws conducted on the bsis of the wter potentil in the soil. The mesurements of the potentil were tken by mens of utomtic RA tensiometers produced by Irrometer, which llowed irrigtion to strt when the vlue of the wter potentil in the soil ws equl to or less thn -20 kp. The tensiometers were plced in the soil long the rows of plnts, with their cermic tips t depth of 15 20 cm. A single wter dose mounted to 10 mm. Minerl components of the soil were supplemented to the following levels (in mg dm -3 ): N 120, P 80, K 220. The minerl content of the soil before fertilistion is presented in tble 1. Before plnting, the full dose of phosphorus, 75% of the dose of potssium, nd 50% of the dose of nitrogen were pplied. In 2003 nd 2005, the phosphorus content in the soil ws high, therefore fertilistion with phosphorus ws not pplied. The remining prts of nitrogen nd potssium were pplied by fertigtion. Plnts were fertigted using fertiliser solution delivered by nother drip line which Act Sci. Pol.

The effect of blck polyethylene mulch on yield of field-grown cucumber 223 ws lid out on the opposite side in reltion to the line intended for irrigtion. Both irrigtion nd fertigtion drip lines were plced on the surfce. Fertigtion strted when cucumber plnts hd produced three proper leves nd it ws pplied four times t weekly intervls. The nitrogen dose to be delivered vi fertiliser solution ws divided into four equl prts, nd the potssium dose ws divided into two equl prts tht were used together with the third nd the fourth prts of the nitrogen dose. Fertigtion ws crried out irrespective of the wter potentil in the soil. A single dose of fertiliser solution ws 10 mm. Tble 1. The minerl element content (mg dm -3 ) in the soil before fertiliztion Tbel 1. Zwrtość skłdników minerlnych (mg dm -3 ) w glebie przed nwożeniem Yer Rok N-NO 3 - P K C Mg 2002 7 33 70 480 38 2003 1 114 110 470 52 2005 11 153 150 796 77 The protection of plnts ginst weeds, diseses nd pests ws conducted ccording to the current recommendtions. In the irrigtion system used in the experiment, wter meters mde by Metron hd been instlled with the im of mesuring the mount of wter used for wtering cucumber plnts. Using the dt compring yield nd wter consumption, the efficiency of irrigtion ws clculted, or, in other words, fruit yield obtined s result of ppliction of 1 mm of wter. Throughout the reserch period, hrvests of cucumber fruit were conducted three times week, from the beginning of July to the beginning of September. All the fruits whose length exceeded 6 cm were hrvested. During hrvest, the sizes of the totl nd mrketble yields were determined. All the hrvested fruits constituted the totl yield. The mrketble yield included, in ccordnce with the Polish stndrd PN-85/R-75359, helthy fruits of regulr shpe, without disese symptoms, no mechnicl dmge nd no evidence of dmge cused by pests or plnt protection products. Mrketble fruits were grded ccording to the bove-mentioned stndrd into the following three clsses: pickling grde: 6 10 cm long with dimeter of 2.5 4.5 cm, pickling grde: 9 15 cm long with dimeter of 4.5 5.5 cm, nd sld cucumbers with length of 12 20 cm. After four weeks of hrvesting, dry mtter content nd totl crbohydrtes in cucumber fruits were determined. For this purpose, smple of 0.5 kg of fruits ws tken from ech plot. The dry mtter content ws determined using the grvimetric method fter drying t the temperture of 105 C, nd the totl crbohydrte content with the Lne-Eynon method. The results obtined were nlysed sttisticlly. An nlysis of vrince ws crried out, nd the significnce of differences between the investigted fetures were determined using Newmn-Keuls test t significnce level of α = 0.05. The significnce of the influence of the yers nd blck polyethylene mulch on fruit qulity ws determined with the use of F test. Hortorum Cultus 9(3) 2010

224 T. Spiżewski, B. Frąszczk, A. Kłużewicz, W. Krzesiński, J. Lisieck RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The performed synthesis from three yers of investigtions reveled tht the size of totl nd mrketble yields ws ffected only by yers, while the dry mtter content in cucumber fruits ws impcted by this fctor to lesser extent (tb. 2). On the other hnd, soil mulching s well s the interction of yers nd soil mulching filed to exert noticeble effect on the level of totl nd mrketble yield nd the content of dry mtter in cucumber fruits. In ddition, yers, mulching nd the interction between them lso filed to exert significnt impct on the totl sugr content in cucumber fruits. Tble 2. Anlysis of significnce of yers nd blck polyethylene mulch on totl nd mrketble yields s well s on dry mtter nd totl crbohydrtes content in cucumber fruit Tbel 2. Anliz istotności wpływu lt orz ściółkowni gleby czrną folią n wielkość plonu ogólnego i hndlowego, zwrtość suchej msy i cukrów ogółem w owocch ogórk Vrince source Źródło zmienności Yer Rok Mulching Ściółkownie Interction: yer mulch Interkcj: rok ściółkownie Totl yield Plon ogólny Mrketble yield Plon hndlowy F Dry mtter content in fruit Zwrtość suchej msy w owocch Totl crbohydrtes content in fruit Zwrtość cukrów ogółem w owocch 48.83* 39.50* 4.01* 0.18 1.42 0.98 0.73 2.05 0.25 0.22 1.89 0.01 * differences significnt t α = 0.05 różnice istotne przy α = 0,.05 In ll yers of investigtions, higher totl nd mrketble yields were recorded from plnts cultivted on soil mulched with blck polyethylene thn from plnts growing on unmulched soil (figs. 1, 2), lthough differences in yield levels were smll, of 0.4 10% order, nd were not sttisticlly significnt. Nevertheless, higher cucumber yields from plnts cultivted in soil mulched with blck polyethylene in comprison with yields from plnts cultivted in soil without mulching were reported, mong others, by: Libik [1976], Dobromilsk et l. [1995], Ruppel nd Mkswitt [1996], Siwek nd Kunicki [1998], Lorenzo et l. [2001], Siwek [2002] s well s Ibrr-Jimenez et l. [2008]. According to Lipiński nd Lipińsk [1984], fvourble effects of mulching with blck polyethylene on cucumber yields were pprent in the cse of erly sowing. When plnts were sown lter, their response to mulching ws much weker. Kniszewski [1997] showed tht blck polyethylene mulching combined with drip irrigtion incresed mrketble cucumber yield grown from trnsplnts but hd either no impct or even reduced yields of cucumbers cultivted from sowing. Other vegetbles responded in different wys to soil mulching. Diz-Perez [2009] reported tht when broccoli ws cultivted in soil mulched with blck polyethylene, in some yers it responded well to such tretment, while in others, no differences in yields were observed between plnts Act Sci. Pol.

The effect of blck polyethylene mulch on yield of field-grown cucumber 225 grown in mulched nd unmulched soils. Yields of muskmelon cultivted in mulched soil were significntly higher in comprison with plnts grown in unmulched soil [Ibrr et l. 2001], wheres yields of drip-irrigted cbbge cultivted in soil covered with blck polyethylene were by bout 5% higher when compred with cbbge which ws lso drip-irrigted but grown in unmulched soil [Tiwri et l. 2003]. t h -1 unmulched - bez ściółki mulched - ściółkowne 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 * 2002 2003 2005 Men - Średni * Mens followed by the sme letter, in ech yer, re not significntly different t α = 0.05 Średnie oznczone tymi smymi litermi, w poszczególnych ltch, nie różnią się istotnie przy α = 0,05 Fig. 1. Effect of blck polyethylene mulch on totl cucumber yield Ryc. 1. Wpływ ściółkowni gleby czrną folią n wielkość plonu ogólnego ogórk 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 * see fig. 1 ptrz ryc. 1 t h -1 unmulched - bez ściółki mulched - ściółkowne 0 * 2002 2003 2005 Men - Średni Fig. 2. Effect of blck polyethylene mulch on cucumber mrketble yield Ryc. 2. Wpływ ściółkowni gleby czrną folią n wielkość plonu hndlowego ogórk In ll yers of experiments, no significnt impct of soil mulching on the content of dry mtter nd totl sugrs in cucumber fruits ws recorded (figs. 3, 4), lthough fruits obtined from plnts cultivted in mulched soil were chrcterized by slightly higher sugr concentrtion. In yers 2002 2003, dry mtter content ws found higher in fruits Hortorum Cultus 9(3) 2010

226 T. Spiżewski, B. Frąszczk, A. Kłużewicz, W. Krzesiński, J. Lisieck obtined from plnts grown in unmulched soil, wheres in 2005 in cucumber plnts cultivted in mulched soil. % 6 5 * unmulched - bez ściółki mulched - ściółkowne 4 3 2 1 0 2002 2003 2005 Men - Średni * see fig. 1 ptrz ryc. 1 Fig. 3. Effect of blck polyethylene mulch on dry mtter content in cucumber fruit Ryc. 3. Wpływ ściółkowni gleby czrną folią n zwrtość suchej msy w owocch ogórk % 3 unmulched - bez ściółki mulched - ściółkowne 2.5 2 1.5 * 1 0.5 0 2002 2003 2005 Men - Średni * see fig. 1 ptrz ryc. 1 Fig. 4. Effect of blck polyethylene mulch on totl crbohydrte content in cucumber fruit Ryc. 4. Wpływ ściółkowni gleby czrną folią n zwrtość cukrów ogółem w owocch ogórk In ll yers of experiments, less wter ws used for the irrigtion of cucumbers cultivted in soil mulched with blck polyethylene thn for the irrigtion of cucumbers grown in unmulched soil (tb. 2). At the bsence of significnt differences in yields, it resulted in better irrigtion effectiveness in mulched thn in unmulched soil. Better drip irrigtion efficiency of cucumber cultivted in soil mulched with blck polyethylene thn in unmulched soil t the bsence of differences in yields ws reported by Ky et Act Sci. Pol.

The effect of blck polyethylene mulch on yield of field-grown cucumber 227 Tble 3. Amount of rinfll nd irrigtion s well s efficiency of irrigtion of field-grown cucumber Tbel 3. Sum opdów i nwdnini orz efektywność nwdnini ogórk gruntowego Specifiction Wyszczególnienie Rinfll sum in the period 21 st My 31 st August (mm) Sum opdów tmosferycznych w okresie od 21 V do 31 VIII (mm) Sum of irrigtion in the period 21 st My 31 st August (mm) Sum nwdnini w okresie od 21 V do 31 VIII (mm) Irrigtion efficiency (t h -1 mm -1 ) Efektywność nwdnini (t h -1 mm -1 ) Mulch Ściółk 2002 2003 2005 Men Średni - 170 184 150 168 blck polyethylene czrn foli unmulched bez ściółki blck polyethylene czrn foli unmulched bez ściółki 220 92 111 141 248 151 162 187 0.34 0.32 0.27 0.31 0.30 0.24 0.22 0.25 l. [2005]. On the other hnd, Kirnk nd Demirts [2006] obtined both higher mrketble fruit yields nd better irrigtion effectiveness for mulched thn for unmulched soil. CONCLUSIONS 1. Significnt vribility ws observed in yields of cucumber fruits in individul yers of investigtions. 2. Soil mulching with blck polyethylene did not exert significnt influence on levels of totl nd mrketble yields of cucumber fruits s well s on the dry mtter nd totl sugr contents in fruits. 3. Drip irrigtion effectiveness of cucumber cultivted in the soil mulched with blck polyethylene ws higher thn of cucumber grown in the unmulched soil. REFERENCES Bhell H.S., 1988. Effect of trickle irrigtion nd blck mulch on growth, yield, nd minerl composition of wtermelon. HortScience, 23(1), 123 125. Bhell H.S., Kwolek W.F., 1984. The effects of trickle irrigtion nd plstic mulch on zucchini. HortScience, 19(3), 410 411. Bowen P., Frey B., 2002. Response of plsticultured bell pepper to stking, irrigtion frequency, nd fertigted nitrogen rte. HortScience, 37, 95 100. Diz-Perez J.C., 2009. Root zone temperture, plnt growth nd yield of broccoli (Brssic olerce (Plenck) vr. itlic) s ffected by plstic film mulches. Scienti Hort., 123, 156 163. Dobromilsk R., Orłowski M., Rekowsk E., Słodkowski P., 1995. Ściółkownie gleby w uprwie wrzyw ciepłolubnych. Mt. Konf. Nuk. Nuk prktyce ogrodniczej, AR Lublin, 761 764. Güler S., Ibrikci H., 2002. Yield nd elementl composition of cucumber s ffected by drip nd furrow irrigtion. Act Hort., 571, 51 57. Hortorum Cultus 9(3) 2010

228 T. Spiżewski, B. Frąszczk, A. Kłużewicz, W. Krzesiński, J. Lisieck Hrtz T.K., Hochmuth G.J., 1996. Fertility mngement of drip-irrigted vegetbles. HortTechnology, 6(3), 168 172. Ibrr L., Flores J., Diz-Perez J.C., 2001. Growth nd yield of muskmelon in response to plstic mulch nd row covers. Scienti Hort., 87, 139 145. Ibrr-Jimenez L., Zermeno-Gonzlez A., Mungui-Lopez J., Quezd-Mrtin M.A.R., de L Ros-Ibrr M., 2008. Photosynthesis, soil temperture nd yield of cucumber s ffected by colored plstic mulch. Act Agric. Scnd. BSP, 58, 372 378. Kniszewski S., 1997. Wpływ nwdnini kroplowego i mulczowni n plonownie ogórków uprwinych z siewu i rozsdy. Biul. Wrzywn., 46, 5 12. Ky C., Higgs D., Kirnk H., 2005. Influence of polyethylene mulch, irrigtion regime, nd potssium rtes on field cucumber yield nd relted trits. J. Plnt Nutr., 28, 1739 1753. DOI: 10.1080/01904160500250797. Kirnk H., Demirts M.N., 2006. Effects of different irrigtion regimes nd mulches on yield nd mcronutrition levels of drip-irrigted cucumber under open field conditions. J. Plnt Nutr., 29, 1675 1690. DOI: 10.1080/01904160600851619. Libik A., 1976. Wpływ ściółkowni gleby folią i ppierem silosowym n wzrost i plonownie ogórk gruntowego. Act Agrri Silv., seri Agr., 16(2), 69 83. Lipiński Z., Lipińsk E., 1984. Wpływ ściółkowni czrną folią n wzrost i plonownie ogórków i pomidorów. Ogrodnictwo, 11, 12 13. Lorenzo P., Medrno E., Pérez J., Cstill N., 2001. Cucumber growth nd yield s ffected by mulching in soilless culture in unheted greenhouse. Act Hort., 559, 107 112. Ruppel S., Mkswitt E., 1996. Einfluss von schwrzer Mulchfolie uf den N-Umstz beim Anbu von Einlegegurken (Cucumis stivus L.). Grtenbuwissenschft, 61(5), 230 237. Siwek P., 2002. Efektywność różnych rodzjów i brw osłon w uprwie ogórk. Ogrodnictwo, 3, 11 14. Siwek P., Kunicki E,. 1998. Proekologiczne spekty ściółkowni folią polietylenową w uprwie ogórk n wczesny zbiór. Rocz. AR w Poznniu, Ogrodnictwo, 27, 277 283. Sweeny D.W., Gretz D.A., Bottcher A.B., Locscio S.J., Cmpbell K.L., 1987. Tomto yield nd nitrogen recovery s influenced by irrigtion method, nitrogen source, nd mulch. HortScience, 22(1), 27 29. Tiwri K.N., Singh A., Ml P.K., 2003. Effect of drip irrigtion on yield of cbbge (Brssic olerce L. vr. cpitt) under mulch nd non-mulch conditions. Agriculturl Wter Mngement, 58, 19 28. WPŁYW ŚCIÓŁKOWANIA GLEBY CZARNĄ FOLIĄ NA PLONOWANIE OGÓRKA GRUNTOWEGO Streszczenie. Ogórek jest jednym z njbrdziej populrnych wrzyw w Polsce. Gtunek ten chrkteryzuje się między innymi wysokimi wymgnimi w stosunku do tempertury i wilgotności gleby. Ściółkownie gleby w połączeniu z nwdniniem kroplowym może być dobrym rozwiązniem dl spełnieni tych wymgń. Korzyści wynikjące z tkiego sposobu uprwy to: wcześniejszy i większy plon, zmniejszone prownie gleby i wymywnie skłdników pokrmowych, co z tym idzie większ efektywność nwdnini i nwożeni, mniej chwstów n plntcji, mniejsze zbicie gleby, możliwość zmniejszeni stosowni pestycydów i czystsze produkty. W ltch 2002, 2003 i 2005 przeprowdzono bdni dotyczące wpływu ściółkowni gleby czrną folią polietyleno- Act Sci. Pol.

The effect of blck polyethylene mulch on yield of field-grown cucumber 229 wą n plonownie ogórk gruntowego odminy Akord F 1. Rośliny były uprwine n glebie piszczysto-glinistej, z zstosowniem nwdnini i fertygcji, prowdzonych przy użyciu linii kroplujących. Nie stwierdzono istotnych różnic w wielkości plonu ogólnego i hndlowego owoców orz zwrtości suchej msy i cukrów w owocch z roślin uprwinych n glebie ściółkownej i bez ściółki. Efektywność nwdnini n glebie ściółkownej czrną folią był większ niż n glebie nieściółkownej. Słow kluczowe: Cucumis stivus L., plon owoców, such ms, zwrtość cukrów, efektywność nwdnini Accepted for print Zkceptowno do druku: 25.06.2010 Hortorum Cultus 9(3) 2010