Coloured plastic mulches: impact on soil properties and crop productivity

Abstract

Mulches are materials applied in a soil surface for different roles and purposes. Plastic mulches with different colour have been developed and utilized in different crop production systems. Using coloured plastic mulches is mainly focused in modifying the radiation budget and decreasing the soil water loss. Besides, it helps to regulate soil temperature, water use efficiency, plant growth, yield, quality and weed and insect infestation. In this review, the knowledge and possible application of coloured plastic mulches, which can improve the soil physical properties, growth, yield, and quality crops has been reviewed and discussed. The role of coloured plastic mulches to mitigate the harmful effect of environmental stress in crops is also examined. Various physicochemical processes leading to improved crop production under the effect of coloured plastic mulches are also discussed. The combined results indicated that, effect of coloured plastic mulches is highly significant on soil temperature, moisture and water holding capacity. While black and blue plastics increase soil temperature, clear and white decreases it. Higher number of fruits, number of roots, tubers and bulbs was recorded in use of coloured plastic mulches. Similarly, the TSS, Vitamin C and juice percentage of different plants also showed significant improvement. It is also reported that weed infestation and viral diseases is highly reduced. Coloured plastic mulches also have some negative impacts like, decrease growth and yield in some plants, increase pest infestation, microplastics contamination, soil puddling, soil structural loss and reduce activity of soil-microorganisms. Therefore, use of coloured plastic mulches require close inspection of interaction with factors like; cropping season, root zone temperature, crop type, insect pest infestation and water use efficiency factors.

Impacts of and adaptation to climate change on the oil palm in Malaysia: a systematic review

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Effects of Different Plastic Mulching Film on Soil Hydrothermal Status and Water Utilization by Spring Maize in Northwest China

“…This experiment showed that due to the small plant canopy cover, white mulching film intercepts more solar radiation and has better light transmission than black mulching film. As a result, the cumulative temperature of the soil tillage layer of white mulching film is significantly higher than with black mulching film (Lu et al, 2016;Zhang et al, 2017a;Li et al, 2018a;Sun et al, 2018;Amare and Desta, 2021). The highest soil temperature period of the white mulching film was significantly higher than black mulching film at 16:00, during the maize seedling stage and jointing stage.…”

Effect of Natural and Synthetic Mulches on Yield and Yield Attributing Parameters of Chili (Capsicum annum L. Solanaceae)

“…; Article no.AJAAR.71255 radiation into the mulch. Amare and Desta [29] asserted that black thick plastic mulch blocked solar radiation efficiently, minimized photosynthesis of weed, and caused low vegetative growth of weed. In contrast, transparent plastic mulch lets solar radiation pass through it, resulting in the growth and development of weed through increment in From the study, it can be concluded that both the atural and synthetic mulches had positive impacts on enhancing yield and yield attributing parameters of chili.…”