Organinių mulčių poveikis valgomojo burokėlio (Beta vulgaris L. subsp. vulgaris) agrocenozei

Abstract

The field experiment was carried out in 2019 on farmers Pranas Palubinskas farm located in Paigiai village, Kelmė district. The aim of the experiment was to determine the influence of organic mulches and different thickness of mulch layer on the yield of red beets, soil temperature and humidity. Treatments of the experiment: factor A – mulch: 1) without mulch; 2) straw mulch; 3) grass mulch; 4) sawdust mulch. Factor B – thickness of mulch layer: 1) 5 cm; 2) 10 cm. Coating of soil with grass and straw mulches significantly decreased the soil temperature compared to not mulched plots. The thicker (10 cm) mulch layer significantly increased the soil temperature compared to thinner (5 cm) mulch layer. Coating of soil with organic mulches increased the humidity, compared with not mulched plots. The thicker (10 cm) mulch layer significantly increased the soil humidity compared to thinner (5 cm) mulch layer. Covering the soil with different organic mulches significantly increased the yield of red beets compared to not mulched plots. Grass mulch had the most significant effect on the red beets yield – the yield of red beets grown in these plots was 1.5 times higher than that of red beets grown in plots without mulch.