Abstract
Summary The aim of this research was to elucidate the impact of various mulches on N availability in the soil, the plant development, as well as the yield and quality of strawberries ( Fragaria x ananassa Duch.). Field experiments were established in 1995 with the strawberry cv. 'Petrina' in the midlands of Switzerland. The following interrow soil covers were compared at a moderate rate of nitrogen fertilization (3 x 20 kg N ha -1 ): bare ground (control), black and white water-permeable Mypex films, straw added after planting and a living mulch of a non-winterhardy white clover ( Trifolium repens L.). In the latter two systems, the rows were covered by bands of water-permeable black polyethylene plastic film (30 cm wide). The content of mineral nitrogen (N min ) in the soil was measured in and between the rows (25 cm apart) and in different soil layers throughout crop development. Parameters of vegetative crop development, such as the formation of runners after planting and total leaf area per plant, were also measured. Moreover, concentrations of total N and nitrate in the leaf blades, fruit yield, fruit size, and parameters of fruit quality of cv. 'Petrina', e.g. soluble solids, titratable fruit acid, and the firmness and shelf life of the fruits were assessed. Black and white Mypex films did not have consistent effects on N min values in the soil. With continuous decreases in N min , winter straw mulch in particular reduced the risk of nitrogen leaching in the interrow area during winter. The white clover mulch treatment clearly decreased N min only in the year of planting. The white clover mulch treatment also resulted in a decrease in the number of runners. Ground cover management did not have a significant effect on leaf area. Straw and living clover mulches hindered flower formation, possibly as a result of shading. Moreover, the white clover mulch significantly decreased the fruit yield. Compared to the black Mypex film, the white film reduced the formation of runners, while the number of flowers increased slightly. The colour of the plastic mulches did not have a significant effect on the fruit yield. The size of the fruit was affected to a slight extent by the ground cover treatments. The content of titratable fruit acid increased in the straw and living clover mulch treatment. The fruits were, on average, most firm in the control treatment with bare ground. Based on these studies, we recommend using black and white plastic mulches for strawberry production on sandy loam under temperate conditions. In contrast, interline straw and living white clover mulches seem to have a detrimental effect on the development of the strawberry crop in flat planting systems under the studied agroecological conditions.
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Claims 19
Claim · model-written summary
Black and white Mypex films had inconsistent effects on soil mineral nitrogen.
Not reportedTaxonComparatorDirection
Verbatim
e0“Black and white Mypex films did not have consistent effects on N min values in the soil.”
Claim · model-written summary
Winter straw mulch reduced winter interrow nitrogen leaching risk as mineral nitrogen continuously decreased.
- Treatment
- winter straw mulche0
- Outcome
- risk of nitrogen leachinge0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Qualifier
- in the interrow area during wintere0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“With continuous decreases in N min , winter straw mulch in particular reduced the risk of nitrogen leaching in the interrow area during winter.”
Claim · model-written summary
White clover mulch decreased soil mineral nitrogen only in the planting year.
- Treatment
- white clover mulch treatmente0
- Outcome
- N mine0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Qualifier
- only in the year of plantinge0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“The white clover mulch treatment clearly decreased N min only in the year of planting.”
Claim · model-written summary
White clover mulch decreased strawberry runner number.
- Taxon
- strawberries
_single2.jpg?width=60)
Fragaria ×ananassat0 - Treatment
- white clover mulch treatmente0
- Interactor
- white clover
Trifolium repense0other - Outcome
- number of runnerse0
- Direction
- decreasee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_single2.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“The white clover mulch treatment also resulted in a decrease in the number of runners.”
t0“strawberries”
Claim · model-written summary
Ground cover management did not significantly affect strawberry leaf area.
- Taxon
- strawberriesFragaria ×ananassat0
- Treatment
- Ground cover managemente0
- Outcome
- leaf areae0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Ground cover management did not have a significant effect on leaf area.”
t0“strawberries”
Claim · model-written summary
Straw mulch hindered strawberry flower formation, possibly through shading.
- Taxon
- strawberriesFragaria ×ananassat0
- Treatment
- Strawe0
- Outcome
- flower formatione0
- Direction
- hinderede0
- Qualifier
- possibly as a result of shadinge0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Straw and living clover mulches hindered flower formation, possibly as a result of shading.”
t0“strawberries”
Claim · model-written summary
Living clover mulch hindered strawberry flower formation, possibly through shading.
- Taxon
- strawberriesFragaria ×ananassat0
- Treatment
- living clover mulchese0
- Outcome
- flower formatione0
- Direction
- hinderede0
- Qualifier
- possibly as a result of shadinge0
TrifoliumNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Straw and living clover mulches hindered flower formation, possibly as a result of shading.”
t0“strawberries”
Claim · model-written summary
White clover mulch significantly reduced strawberry fruit yield.
- Taxon
- strawberriesFragaria ×ananassat0
- Treatment
- white clover mulche0
- Interactor
- white cloverTrifolium repense0other
- Outcome
- fruit yielde0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Moreover, the white clover mulch significantly decreased the fruit yield.”
t0“strawberries”
Claim · model-written summary
White Mypex film reduced strawberry runner formation relative to black film.
- Taxon
- strawberriesFragaria ×ananassat0
- Treatment
- white filme0
- Outcome
- formation of runnerse0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Comparator
- black Mypex filme0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Compared to the black Mypex film, the white film reduced the formation of runners, while the number of flowers increased slightly.”
t0“strawberries”
Claim · model-written summary
White Mypex film slightly increased strawberry flower number relative to black film.
- Taxon
- strawberriesFragaria ×ananassat0
- Treatment
- white filme0
- Outcome
- number of flowerse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- slightlye0
- Comparator
- black Mypex filme0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Compared to the black Mypex film, the white film reduced the formation of runners, while the number of flowers increased slightly.”
t0“strawberries”
Claim · model-written summary
Plastic mulch colour did not significantly affect strawberry fruit yield.
- Taxon
- strawberriesFragaria ×ananassat0
- Treatment
- colour of the plastic mulchese0
- Outcome
- fruit yielde0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The colour of the plastic mulches did not have a significant effect on the fruit yield.”
t0“strawberries”
Claim · model-written summary
Ground covers slightly affected strawberry fruit size.
- Taxon
- strawberriesFragaria ×ananassat0
- Treatment
- ground cover treatmentse0
- Outcome
- size of the fruite0
- Qualifier
- to a slight extente0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The size of the fruit was affected to a slight extent by the ground cover treatments.”
t0“strawberries”
Claim · model-written summary
Straw mulch increased strawberry titratable fruit acid content.
- Taxon
- strawberriesFragaria ×ananassat0
- Treatment
- strawe0
- Outcome
- content of titratable fruit acide0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The content of titratable fruit acid increased in the straw and living clover mulch treatment.”
t0“strawberries”
Claim · model-written summary
Living clover mulch increased strawberry titratable fruit acid content.
- Taxon
- strawberriesFragaria ×ananassat0
- Treatment
- living clover mulch treatmente0
- Outcome
- content of titratable fruit acide0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The content of titratable fruit acid increased in the straw and living clover mulch treatment.”
t0“strawberries”
Claim · model-written summary
Strawberry fruits were on average firmest with bare ground.
- Taxon
- strawberriesFragaria ×ananassat0
- Treatment
- bare grounde0
- Outcome
- most firme0
- Direction
- most firme0
- Qualifier
- on averagee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The fruits were, on average, most firm in the control treatment with bare ground.”
t0“strawberries”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend black plastic mulch for strawberry production on sandy loam in temperate conditions.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Outcome
- blacke0
- Qualifier
- on sandy loam under temperate conditionse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Based on these studies, we recommend using black and white plastic mulches for strawberry production on sandy loam under temperate conditions.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend white plastic mulch for strawberry production on sandy loam in temperate conditions.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Outcome
- white plastic mulchese0
- Qualifier
- on sandy loam under temperate conditionse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Based on these studies, we recommend using black and white plastic mulches for strawberry production on sandy loam under temperate conditions.”
Claim · model-written summary
Interline straw mulch appears detrimental to strawberry crop development in the studied flat planting systems.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Treatment
- interline strawe0
- Outcome
- development of the strawberry crope0
- Direction
- detrimental effecte0
- Qualifier
- in flat planting systems under the studied agroecological conditionse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In contrast, interline straw and living white clover mulches seem to have a detrimental effect on the development of the strawberry crop in flat planting systems under the studied agroecological conditions.”
Claim · model-written summary
Living white clover mulch appears detrimental to strawberry crop development in the studied flat planting systems.
- Taxon
- strawberryFragaria ×ananassae0
- Treatment
- living white clover mulchese0
- Interactor
- white cloverTrifolium repense0other
- Outcome
- development of the strawberry crope0
- Direction
- detrimental effecte0
- Qualifier
- in flat planting systems under the studied agroecological conditionse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In contrast, interline straw and living white clover mulches seem to have a detrimental effect on the development of the strawberry crop in flat planting systems under the studied agroecological conditions.”
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