Abstract
SUMMARY Soil moisture content and plant water status of young clonal tea plants were affected differently by five different types of mulches (black plastic, stone chippings and three types of grass) when compared with a control without mulch. During prolonged droughts, soil moisture content was generally highest under Napier grass and black plastic but any type of mulch was better than no mulch in conserving moisture to 90 cm depth. Tensiometer data at the onset of rains after an unusual prolonged dry season suggest that the infiltration was fastest under grass mulches. After four years of continuous application grass mulches had significantly most effect on water holding capacity, but induced shallow rooting systems, which made the mulched tea more susceptible to drought.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Mulch types affected tea plant water status and soil moisture differently.
- Taxon
- Teat0
- Treatment
- five different types of mulchese0
- Outcome
- Soil moisture content and plant water statuse0
- Comparator
- control without mulche0
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“Soil moisture content and plant water status of young clonal tea plants were affected differently by five different types of mulches (black plastic, stone chippings and three types of grass) when compared with a control without mulch”
t0“Tea Plants in Kenya”
Claim · model-written summary
Napier grass and black plastic had generally highest soil moisture during drought.
- Taxon
- Teat0
- Treatment
- Napier grass and black plastice0
- Outcome
- soil moisture contente0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Qualifier
- During prolonged droughtse0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“During prolonged droughts, soil moisture content was generally highest under Napier grass and black plastic”
t0“Tea Plants in Kenya”
Claim · model-written summary
Every mulch conserved more moisture to 90 cm than no mulch.
Verbatim
e0“any type of mulch was better than no mulch in conserving moisture to 90 cm depth”
t0“Tea Plants in Kenya”
Claim · model-written summary
Grass mulches had fastest infiltration when rain began after drought.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“infiltration was fastest under grass mulches”
t0“Tea Plants in Kenya”
Claim · model-written summary
Grass mulches had the largest effect on water holding capacity after four years.
- Taxon
- Teat0
- Treatment
- grass mulchese0
- Outcome
- water holding capacitye0
- Direction
- moste0
- Qualifier
- After four years of continuous applicatione0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“After four years of continuous application grass mulches had significantly most effect on water holding capacity”
t0“Tea Plants in Kenya”
Claim · model-written summary
Grass mulches induced shallow roots.
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Verbatim
e0“grass mulches had significantly most effect on water holding capacity, but induced shallow rooting systems”
t0“Tea Plants in Kenya”
Claim · model-written summary
Grass mulched tea became more drought susceptible.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“made the mulched tea more susceptible to drought”
t0“Tea Plants in Kenya”
The same questions in other papers
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mulching · growth · Camellia sinensis (black tea)Positive and negative results
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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.