BLACK POLYPROPYLENE MULCH TEXTILE IN ORGANIC AGRICULTURE

Summary

Black polyethylene mulch is used for weed control in a range of crops under the organic system. The use of black polypropylene mulch is usually restricted to perennial crops. The trial was conducted at Experimental station of Department of Crop Production of the Czech University of Life Science Prague-Uhříněves in Czech Republic. For the experiments were used black polypropylene woven mulch (comparison wit bare soil), two varieties of early potatoes Finka and Katka. Black polypropylene textile was used in potatoes by organic agriculture and it had positive effect on soil temperature (in the depth of 100 mm). Slightly higher soil temperatures under black polypropylene mulch in the vegetation period after planting had favourable influence on earlier stands emergence. The soil water potential (in the depth of 250 mm) and also the soil water content have been beneficial for black polypropylene mulch. Significantly lower values of the soil water potentials have been found in the period after planting and at the end of vegetation. Black polypropylene mulch provided favourable temperatures and soil moisture. Post harvest analyses were focused on the determination of the yield and quality tubers from each variant.