Abstract
In order to describe changes in water regime and production parameters caused by red polyethylene (PE) mulch in dehydrated watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai) plants, as well as to define their transpiration efficiency (TE) and water use efficiency (WUE) under different temperature environments, 2 individual pot experiments (summer external experiment and autumnal greenhouse experiment) were conducted. We found that red mulch reduced leaf relative water content (RWC) fall caused by water restriction but osmotic adjustment (OA) was not responsible for this stress alleviation. A general OA was observed in the course of dehydration, possibly associated with developmental changes as amplified by exposition to high air temperatures. Mulched watermelon plants produced significantly more dry biomass (W) and leaf area (A) than plants without mulch protection. They also reached much higher transpiration rates (T) but lower evaporation rates (E). However, due to red PE mulch TE appeared below that of non-mulched plants. On the other hand, WUE corresponded with the results of recent works exclusively on black PE mulch, since it was enhanced by mulch. Cooler autumnal conditions resulted in higher RWC, W, and A, but in lower T, TE, and WUE differences between treatments. These results are discussed in context of effective water use (EUW), a new parameter arising from WUE failure in breeding for drought resistance.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Red mulch reduced the fall in leaf relative water content caused by water restriction in watermelon.
- Taxon
- watermelon
Citrullus lanatuse0 - Treatment
- red mulche1
- Outcome
- leaf relative water content (RWC) falle1
- Direction
- reducede1
- Qualifier
- caused by water restrictione1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“dehydrated watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai) plants”
e1“We found that red mulch reduced leaf relative water content (RWC) fall caused by water restriction but osmotic adjustment (OA) was not responsible for this stress alleviation”
Claim · model-written summary
Osmotic adjustment was not responsible for the stress alleviation by red mulch in watermelon.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatuse0
- Treatment
- red mulche1
- Outcome
- stress alleviatione1
- Qualifier
- osmotic adjustment (OA) was not responsiblee1
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“dehydrated watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai) plants”
e1“We found that red mulch reduced leaf relative water content (RWC) fall caused by water restriction but osmotic adjustment (OA) was not responsible for this stress alleviation”
Claim · model-written summary
A general osmotic adjustment was observed in watermelon during dehydration.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatuse0
- Outcome
- general OAe2
- Qualifier
- possibly associated with developmental changes as amplified by exposition to high air temperaturese2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“dehydrated watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai) plants”
e2“A general OA was observed in the course of dehydration, possibly associated with developmental changes as amplified by exposition to high air temperatures”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulched watermelon plants produced significantly more dry biomass and leaf area than plants without mulch protection.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatuse3
- Treatment
- mulch protectione3
- Outcome
- dry biomass (W) and leaf area (A)e3
- Direction
- moree3
- Comparator
- plants without mulch protectione3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e3“Mulched watermelon plants produced significantly more dry biomass (W) and leaf area (A) than plants without mulch protection”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulched watermelon plants reached much higher transpiration rates.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatuse3
- Treatment
- Mulchede3
- Outcome
- transpiration rates (T)e4
- Direction
- much highere4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e3“Mulched watermelon plants produced significantly more dry biomass (W) and leaf area (A) than plants without mulch protection”
e4“They also reached much higher transpiration rates (T) but lower evaporation rates (E)”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulched watermelon plants had lower evaporation rates.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatuse3
- Treatment
- Mulchede3
- Outcome
- evaporation rates (E)e4
- Direction
- lowere4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e3“Mulched watermelon plants produced significantly more dry biomass (W) and leaf area (A) than plants without mulch protection”
e4“They also reached much higher transpiration rates (T) but lower evaporation rates (E)”
Claim · model-written summary
Red PE mulch lowered transpiration efficiency below that of non-mulched watermelon plants.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatuse0
- Treatment
- red PE mulche5
- Outcome
- TEe5
- Direction
- belowe5
- Comparator
- non-mulched plantse5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“dehydrated watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai) plants”
e5“However, due to red PE mulch TE appeared below that of non-mulched plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulch enhanced water use efficiency in watermelon.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatuse0
- Treatment
- mulche6
- Outcome
- WUEe6
- Direction
- enhancede6
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“dehydrated watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai) plants”
e6“On the other hand, WUE corresponded with the results of recent works exclusively on black PE mulch, since it was enhanced by mulch”
Claim · model-written summary
Cooler autumnal conditions were associated with higher RWC, dry biomass and leaf area in watermelon.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatuse0
- Treatment
- Cooler autumnal conditionse7
- Outcome
- RWC, W, and Ae7
- Direction
- highere7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“dehydrated watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai) plants”
e7“Cooler autumnal conditions resulted in higher RWC, W, and A, but in lower T, TE, and WUE differences between treatments”
Claim · model-written summary
Cooler autumnal conditions were associated with lower differences between treatments in transpiration, transpiration efficiency and WUE.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatuse0
- Treatment
- Cooler autumnal conditionse7
- Outcome
- T, TE, and WUE differences between treatmentse7
- Direction
- lowere7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“dehydrated watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai) plants”
e7“Cooler autumnal conditions resulted in higher RWC, W, and A, but in lower T, TE, and WUE differences between treatments”
The same questions in other papers
mulching · growth · Citrullus lanatus (watermelon)Positive and negative results
16 papers in the same direction as this paper · 2 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- no effect
- positive
15 papers more in this group
See all 19 papers →mulching · physiology: water · Citrullus lanatus (watermelon)Results agree
3 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- positive
- 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.