Evaluation of the use of polyethylene mulches in the production of organic flue‐cured tobacco

Abstract

Weed and insect pest management in organic flue‐cured tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) is challenging due to lack of effective and affordable approved control options. Polyethylene plastic mulches are used in vegetable and berry production to manage in‐row weed populations, buffer soil temperatures, limit rain‐induced soil loss, and maintain soil moisture. Mulch color can affect plant growth, soil temperature, and insect pest populations in vegetable crops. Field trials were conducted in Kinston, NC, in 2019 and 2020 and Whiteville, NC, in 2020. Red, white, black, and silver polyethylene mulch (with drip irrigation) and bare ground with and without drip irrigation were compared to evaluate effects on tobacco yield, quality, and pests. Tobacco yields were elevated by at least 290% in mulch treatments compared with bare ground with irrigation in 2020 (p < .05), but did not differ in 2019 due to precipitation and temperature differences that conveyed an increased benefit in 2020. Opaque mulches successfully suppressed weed emergence. Fewer aphids were present in highly reflective silver mulch than all other treatments with irrigation in both years. Black and red mulch warmed soils while silver cooled them, affecting nitrogen mineralization rates. Higher levels of plant available nitrogen were maintained in mulch treatments, but tobacco nitrate levels and overall quality were not affected. These results are consistent with plasticulture research in other crops. The factors that make plasticulture well suited to intensively managed, high value crop production may benefit organic flue‐cured tobacco production especially when grown in rotation with other intensively managed crops.

Effect of Plastic Mulch Color and Transplanting Stage on Baby Corn Plant Performance

“…This variation will result from differences in the soil types and local climates. Reports confirming this stated that black plastic mulch is more effective than white/black or aluminum/black plastic mulching systems in raising the minimum, maximum, and mean soil temperature [30]- [33].…”

Yield and Quality Traits of Tomato ‘San Marzano’ Type as Affected by Photo-Selective Low-Density Polyethylene Mulching

“…(1) soil temperature and its water content (evapotranspiration, due to the evaporation quota, is reported to decrease as a consequence of plastic mulch; [32]); (2) growth/yield responses, and (3) weed and pest diseases control [6,[33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41]. Black plastic film is reported to increase soil temperature more than differently colored films since it absorbs more radiation than the others [28,33,42,43]. Nevertheless, colored films may directly change the response to photosynthetic active radiation (PAR), acting on quotas of transmittance, absorbance, and reflectance of covered surfaces.…”

“…Nevertheless, colored films may directly change the response to photosynthetic active radiation (PAR), acting on quotas of transmittance, absorbance, and reflectance of covered surfaces. The higher the reflectance of plastic materials, the lower the soil temperature and the higher the soil moisture [23,28,41,43].…”