Abstract
The application of straw mulch to organic seed potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) has been shown to reduce virus incidence. In order to determine the associated agronomic effects of straw mulch, applied at 2.5–5 t ha�1, on soil nitrate dynamics, weed development, tuber yield and soil erosion, 12 field experiments were evaluated. Experiments were conducted on organic farms over 3 years at two locations in a temperate climate (635–709 mm precipitation/year; 8.1 8C mean air temperature) on loamy silt soils. Tuber yield and tuber size distribution were not influenced significantly by mulching. However, the risk of undesirable post harvest N-leaching was significantly reduced due to the immobilization of nitrate–N after harvest at 6.8–7.0 kg N t-1 straw in two experiments (18–34 kg NO3–N ha�1). There was no consistent effect of straw mulch on number of weeds, weed cover and above ground biomass of weeds. The fact that yield and weed development were not significantly affected by straw mulch is mainly attributed to the relatively low amounts of straw applied. Soil erosion was reduced by >97% in a rain simulation experiment on a potato field of 8% slope with 20% crop cover. Soil loss was greatest (1606 g m-2) in the unmulched treatment, and 31, 42 and 26 g m-2 in treatments with chopped straw at 1.25, 2.5 and 5 t ha-1, respectively.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Straw mulch did not significantly influence potato tuber yield or tuber size distribution.
- Taxon
- potatoes
Solanum tuberosumt1 - Treatment
- mulchinge1
- Outcome
- Tuber yield and tuber size distributione1
- Direction
- not influenced significantlye1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Tuber yield and tuber size distribution were not influenced significantly by mulching”
t1“potatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Straw mulch significantly reduced the risk of post-harvest N-leaching through immobilization of nitrate-N after harvest at 6.8-7.0 kg N per t straw in two experiments.
- Taxon
- potatoesSolanum tuberosumt1
- Treatment
- straw mulcht0
- Outcome
- risk of undesirable post harvest N-leachinge1
- Direction
- reducede1
- Value
- 6.8–7.0 kg N t-1 strawe1
- Qualifier
- immobilization of nitrate–N after harveste1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“the risk of undesirable post harvest N-leaching was significantly reduced due to the immobilization of nitrate–N after harvest at 6.8–7.0 kg N t-1 straw in two experiments”
t0“straw mulch”
t1“potatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Straw mulch had no consistent effect on number of weeds, weed cover or above-ground weed biomass in potato.
- Taxon
- potatoesSolanum tuberosumt1
- Treatment
- straw mulche1
- Interactor
- weedse1weed
- Outcome
- number of weeds, weed cover and above ground biomass of weedse1
- Direction
- no consistent effecte1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“There was no consistent effect of straw mulch on number of weeds, weed cover and above ground biomass of weeds”
t1“potatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil erosion was reduced by more than 97% in a rain simulation experiment on a potato field with straw mulch.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosume1
- Treatment
- straw mulcht0
- Outcome
- Soil erosione1
- Direction
- reducede1
- Value
- >97%e1
- Setting
- rain simulation experimente1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Soil erosion was reduced by >97% in a rain simulation experiment on a potato field of 8% slope with 20% crop cover”
t0“straw mulch”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil loss under chopped straw at 1.25 t ha-1 was 31 g m-2, far below the unmulched treatment.
- Taxon
- potatoesSolanum tuberosumt1
- Treatment
- chopped straw at 1.25e1
- Outcome
- Soil losse1
- Direction
- lowerinferrede1
- Value
- 31e1
- Qualifier
- 1606 g m-2e1
- Comparator
- unmulched treatmente1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Soil loss was greatest (1606 g m-2) in the unmulched treatment, and 31, 42 and 26 g m-2 in treatments with chopped straw at 1.25, 2.5 and 5 t ha-1, respectively”
t1“potatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil loss under chopped straw at 2.5 t ha-1 was 42 g m-2, far below the unmulched treatment.
- Taxon
- potatoesSolanum tuberosumt1
- Treatment
- chopped strawe1
- Outcome
- Soil losse1
- Direction
- lowerinferrede1
- Value
- 42e1
- Qualifier
- 1606 g m-2e1
- Comparator
- unmulched treatmente1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Soil loss was greatest (1606 g m-2) in the unmulched treatment, and 31, 42 and 26 g m-2 in treatments with chopped straw at 1.25, 2.5 and 5 t ha-1, respectively”
t1“potatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil loss under chopped straw at 5 t ha-1 was 26 g m-2, far below the unmulched treatment.
- Taxon
- potatoesSolanum tuberosumt1
- Treatment
- chopped strawe1
- Outcome
- Soil losse1
- Direction
- lowerinferrede1
- Value
- 26 g m-2e1
- Qualifier
- 1606 g m-2e1
- Comparator
- unmulched treatmente1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Soil loss was greatest (1606 g m-2) in the unmulched treatment, and 31, 42 and 26 g m-2 in treatments with chopped straw at 1.25, 2.5 and 5 t ha-1, respectively”
t1“potatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors attribute the lack of significant effects of straw mulch on yield and weed development mainly to the relatively low amounts of straw applied.
- Taxon
- potatoesSolanum tuberosumt1
- Treatment
- straw mulche1
- Outcome
- yield and weed development were not significantly affectede1
- Qualifier
- relatively low amounts of straw appliede1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“yield and weed development were not significantly affected by straw mulch is mainly attributed to the relatively low amounts of straw applied”
t1“potatoes”
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See all 6 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.