Transparent, Black and Organic Mulches Effect on Weed Suppression in Green Pepper (Capsicum annuum) in Western Kenya

Abstract

Weed suppression through physical methods in cultivation constitutes of many methods but this experiment focused on application of various mulches. Recently, herbicide-free weed control methods in the world are getting more attention due to environmental and ecological factors. Green pepper production requires good management practices in order to attain potential yields. Most of the known physical practices of weed control cause both positive and negative effects. Therefore, great attention should be paid when selecting the appropriate mulch with the aim of weed suppression in any specific cultivation. Three types of mulches were examined for weed control namely; black plastic mulch, transparent plastic mulch, straw mulch and bare soil as control during the 2015 short and long raining seasons in Busia County. In both seasons, the black plastic mulch treatment significantly (P<0.05) showed the lowest number of weed species (3) per m 2 quadrat while the control had the highest with a maximum of 8 and 7 during the long and short raining seasons respectively. The number of species reduced after four weeks from transplanting when the first sampling was carried out. The lowest weed vigor was exhibited in the plastic treatments for both seasons at 4, 6 and 8 weeks after transplanting. Control had the highest weed fresh biomass for both seasons at all the sampling stages with the highest observed during the short raining season with 1626 g/m 2 at 4 weeks after transplanting. This also translated to the highest weed dry biomass for both seasons in the control plots with the lowest recorded in the black plastic mulch. Out of several physical methods of weed control, mulching seems to be the most appropriate with the black plastic mulch being the best.

Performance of different weed management practices on weed dynamics, growth, yield and economics of taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.)

“…Black polyethylene absorbed all the incident radiations itself so there was less light penetration underneath the black polyethene which ultimately might have checked the weed seed germination and growth as compared to mulching by straw and other weed management practices. Similar findings were also reported by Bakht et al 2014 [2] , Edgar 2017 [5] , and Nedunchezhiyan et al 2017) [7] . Significantly highest weed population per unit area was recorded in control plot than all other treatments.…”

Effect of Different Mulching on Moisture Content in Soil, Weed Dynamics and Yield of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) in Post Flood Situation in Coastal Odisha

“…The cessation of weed growth under mulches might be due to the dark barrier and subsequent photosynthesis inhibition. Low number of weeds under black polythene mulch may be due to high temperature and reduced light availability as compared to other mulches [7], reduced germination of light responsive seeds and physically blocking the emergence of most weeds [8]. Black colour of the polyethylene absorbed all the incident radiations itself.…”