Abstract
Sweet corn ( Zea mays L.) growers in the upper midwestern U.S. have used clear plastic mulch to improve early yield and advance crop maturity. Results of this practice have been inconsistent because of early season temperature variability and inadequate information on cultivar adaptation. Our objective was to improve the performance consistency by investigating earliness techniques with the early, sugary-enhancer ( se ) cultivar Temptation planted at two sites. Treatments were bare soil or clear plastic mulch, rowcovers or none, and direct-seeded or transplanted plants. Transplants were produced in the greenhouse in either 50-cell plastic trays or peat pot strips, 2.3 inches × 4.0 inches deep (6 × 10 cm) and were evaluated according to transplant age and cell size. In the cold springs of 1996 and 1997, the use of clear plastic mulch shortened maturity of sweet corn by 1 and 10 days, respectively, for the silt loam site; but no maturity advantage was observed for the loamy sand site. Clear plastic raised the minimum soil temperature by 3.8 to 4.0 °F (2.1 to 2.2 °C) at both sites. The 2-week-old 50-cell tray transplants matured 6 days earlier than the peat pot strip transplants or direct seeded at both locations in 1997. Marketable yield from the transplants was inconsistent by location and year. Four-week-old transplants did not withstand field stress and performed poorly regardless of type of container. Ear quality as indicated by row number, ear diameter, ear length, and tipfill was lowest with transplants.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Clear plastic mulch shortened sweet corn maturity on silt loam by 1 day in 1996.
Verbatim
e0“clear plastic mulch shortened maturity of sweet corn by 1 and 10 days, respectively, for the silt loam site”
e1“In the cold springs of 1996 and 1997”
e2“Treatments were bare soil or clear plastic mulch”
Claim · model-written summary
Clear plastic mulch shortened sweet corn maturity on silt loam by 10 days in 1997.
Verbatim
e0“clear plastic mulch shortened maturity of sweet corn by 1 and 10 days, respectively, for the silt loam site”
e1“In the cold springs of 1996 and 1997”
e2“Treatments were bare soil or clear plastic mulch”
Claim · model-written summary
Clear plastic mulch gave no maturity advantage on loamy sand.
Verbatim
e0“no maturity advantage was observed for the loamy sand site”
e1“clear plastic mulch shortened maturity of sweet corn”
e2“Treatments were bare soil or clear plastic mulch”
Claim · model-written summary
Clear plastic raised minimum soil temperature by 3.8 to 4.0 °F at both sites.
Verbatim
e0“Clear plastic raised the minimum soil temperature by 3.8 to 4.0 °F (2.1 to 2.2 °C) at both sites”
e1“Sweet corn ( Zea mays L.)”
e2“Treatments were bare soil or clear plastic mulch”
Claim · model-written summary
Two-week-old 50-cell tray transplants matured 6 days before peat pot strip transplants at both sites in 1997.
Verbatim
e0“The 2-week-old 50-cell tray transplants matured 6 days earlier than the peat pot strip transplants or direct seeded at both locations in 1997”
e1“Sweet corn ( Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Two-week-old 50-cell tray transplants matured 6 days before direct seeded plants at both sites in 1997.
Verbatim
e0“The 2-week-old 50-cell tray transplants matured 6 days earlier than the peat pot strip transplants or direct seeded at both locations in 1997”
e1“Sweet corn ( Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Marketable yield from transplants varied inconsistently with location and year.
- Taxon
- Sweet corne1
- Outcome
- Marketable yield from the transplantse0
- Qualifier
- inconsistent by location and yeare0
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“Marketable yield from the transplants was inconsistent by location and year”
e1“Sweet corn ( Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Four-week-old transplants performed poorly under field stress regardless of container.
Verbatim
e0“Four-week-old transplants did not withstand field stress and performed poorly regardless of type of container”
e1“Sweet corn ( Zea mays L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Ear quality measures were lowest with transplants.
Verbatim
e0“Ear quality as indicated by row number, ear diameter, ear length, and tipfill was lowest with transplants”
e1“Sweet corn ( Zea mays L.)”
e2“Treatments were bare soil or clear plastic mulch, rowcovers or none, and direct-seeded or transplanted plants”
The same questions in other papers
mulching · phenology · Zea mays (maize)Results differ
15 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- positive
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12 papers more in this group
See all 16 papers →transplanting · quality: general · Zea mays (maize)Positive and negative results
1 in the opposite direction
- positive
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.