Evaluating a new ridge and furrow rainfall harvesting system with two types of mulches

Abstract

A new, ridge-furrow-ridge rainfall harvesting (RFRRH) system covered with black polyethylene (PE) mulch and black perforated PE mulch was studied in the cultivation of purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea Moench). In the RFRRH system, PE mulch covered two ridges and a furrow between them, which serve as a rainfall harvesting zone. Soil water content, crop yield and production cost effectiveness were evaluated. We conclude that the new RFRRH system could reduce yield and increase material costs, which results in reduced income per hectare. On the other hand, the RFRRH system reduced weed control time and may therefore increase profit per hectare. It supplies at least an equal amount of water in comparison to bare ground (control), and can be used in semi-humid or humid regions without additional irrigation. Copyright

Incorporation of a ridge–furrow–ridge rainwater harvesting system with mulches in high‐value plant production

“…However, in later dry periods (from 8 to 11 August in 2007 and from 3 to 6 August, 19 to 22 August and from 29 August to 27 September in 2008), the soil water content was constantly not significantly different among treatments in both years (Figures 4 and 5). These findings are in agreement with the results of a similar trial previously published by Gosar et al (2009).…”

“…Note: The letter 's' indicates significant differences; the letters 'ns' indicate no significant differences between the treatments (LSD test, P < 0.05) (Table II). The results of this study show that mulches assist in weed control, which correlates with other studies (Johnson and Fennimore, 2005;Hegazi, 2000;Gosar et al, 2009).…”

“…The higher yields in the mulch-covered RFRRH system can be explained by the higher soil water content in dry periods at the beginning of plant growth in the RFRRH system with mulches, as well as by the higher soil temperature under black mulch (Tanner, 1974) and the lower nitrogen leaching under the impermeable mulch (Romić et al, 2003;Marr, 1993). A similar trial was done in 2004 (Gosar et al, 2009), in which comparable yields in the RFRRH system with mulches and control treatments were observed. The higher control yields in the 2004 trial in comparison to this trial may have been caused by additional nitrogen fertilization (in July 2004 the experiment additionally received 54 kg N ha À1 ; the total amount of applied N was approximately the same in both experiments) which substituted the leached nitrogen in the control plots and weed elimination by hoeing in the control plots which increased mineralization in the control plots.…”

“…Furthermore, driving paths are well designed, which could enable use of machinery. However, the results of this only oneyear study (Gosar et al, 2009) showed that the RFRRH system did not increase the yield, but increased soil water content in dry periods at the beginning of plant growth.…”

“…Another type of RFRH system with mulches, a ridgefurrow-ridge rainwater-harvesting RFRRH system, was first introduced in flat, lowland humid regions of central Europe (Gosar et al, 2009). In this RFRRH system, polyethylene mulch covers two ridges (which serve as planting zones) and the furrow between them, which serves as the rainwaterharvesting zone.…”