Root Zone Temperature, Plant Growth, and Fruit Yield of Tomatillo as Affected by Plastic Film Mulch

Abstract

<jats:p>Tomatillo (<jats:italic>Physalis ixocarpa</jats:italic> Brot. ex Hornem) is a popular crop in Mexico and other Latin American countries. There is an increasing demand for this vegetable in the United States, particularly from the growing Latino population. However, there is limited information about tomatillo production. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of plastic mulches on plant growth, yield, and root zone temperature in two cultivars of tomatillo. The study was conducted in Spring and Summer 2000. The design was a randomized complete block with a split plot arrangement, where plastic film mulch (black, gray, and silver mulches, and bare soil) was the main plot and cultivar (`Toma Verde' and `Verde Puebla]) the subplot. In the spring, mulch treatments had little effect on plant growth during the first 30 days after transplanting and there were no significant differences in fruit yields. In the summer planting, both early growth and fruit yields were greatest with the silver and gray mulch treatments and lowest on bare soil. Plant growth during the establishment was related with subsequent plant growth and yield. In mature plants, vegetative top fresh weight and total fruit yield were higher (<jats:italic>P</jats:italic> &lt; 0.01) in the spring than in the summer. Total fruit yield (both seasons), marketable yield (spring) and cull yield (spring) were lower in `Toma Verde' than in `Verde Puebla'. Root zone temperatures (RZTs) in the spring (mean = 26.4 °C) were lower than in the summer (mean = 29.3 °C). In both seasons, mean RZT was highest under black mulch and lowest in bare soil. In the summer, plant growth and fruit yields tended to decrease with increasing RZTs. Tomatillo plants grown on mulches with a mean seasonal RZT of 30 °C had fruit yields that were 65% (`Toma Verde') or 50% (`Verde Puebla') lower respectively than those of plants on mulches with a RZT of 27 °C. There were no significant differences in foliar concentrations of N, Ca, Mg, S, B, Zn, Cu and Na among mulches. Foliar concentrations of the majority of mineral nutrients were not related with the mean RZT for the season.</jats:p>

Bell Pepper (Capsicum annum L.) Grown on Plastic Film Mulches: Effects on Crop Microenvironment, Physiological Attributes, and Fruit Yield

“…The percentage of PAR reflected from the surface of the film mulch was negatively related with RZT under mulch (Fig. 1), consistent with previous reports showing high RZTs under mulches (e.g., black mulch) with reduced percentage of reflection of PAR (Díaz-Pérez and Batal, 2002;Díaz-Pérez et al, 2005).…”

Cultivation of potato – use of plastic mulch and row covers on soil temperature, growth, nutrient status, and yield

“…In contrast, in our study the black plastic mulch had a positive effect on producing high-quality tubers. In a different study by Díaz-Pérez et al (2005) with tomatillo (Physalis ixocarpa), the black plastic mulch had no significant effect on yield; however, in the present study, the black plastic film had a positive relationship between tuber production and the average temperature of the root zone.…”

Plastic mulching with drip irrigation increases soil carbon stocks of natrargid soils in arid areas of northwestern China

“…These results were consistent with other findings for northwest China and other areas worldwide (Diaz-Perez et al, 2005;Gu et al, 2012). The increased litter input under PC could be attributed to the increase in soil temperature, especially in the early period of plant growth, the improvement of water use efficiency, better weed control, and higher fertilizers use efficiency (Diaz-Perez et al, 2012;Gu et al, 2012;Li et al, 2007).…”