Soil Temperature Modifications Caused by Solarization in Nurseries

Abstract

Solarization effects on soil temperature were evaluated during the autumn. The increase in soil temperature caused by the use of transparent polyethylene (PE) low tunnels over solarized nurseries, in subtropical central region of the Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, was also quantified. Treatments were: a) solarization with 100µ thickness PE (T1), b) solarization with 100µ thickness PE, covered with low tunnel (T2), c) solarization with 50µ thickness PE (T3), d) solarization with 50µ thickness PE, covered with low tunnel (T4), and e) bare soil (T). The low tunnel consisted of a 100µ thickness PE and measured 0.5m height in the center of the nursery. The results showed that additional use of low tunnels have increased, on the average, 5.0ºC over the maximum temperature of the superficial layer of the soil in the solarized nurseries. In addition, it was observed several days in which the maximum temperature exceeded 45ºC.