Effects of White Plastic and Sawdust Mulch on ‘Savoy’ Baby Cabbage (Rrassica oleracea var. bullata) Growth, Yield and Soil Moisture Conservation in Summer in Swaziland

摘要

Mulches offer immense benefit in horticultural production, however their use has not been studied under local conditions. This study was carried out to determine the effect of white plastic and sawdust mulches on growth, yield of 'Savoy’ baby cabbage(Brassica oleracea. var bullata), weed suppression and conservation of soil moisture on a loamy soil at Luyengo. A control where no mulch was applied was also included in the experiment. The results indicated that mulch type significantly (p<0.05) affected growth and yield of ‘Savoy’ baby cabbage, weed infestation and moisture conservation on a loamy soil. There was no significant difference in yield of cabbage heads from plots mulched with white plastic or sawdust while the control produced relatively the lowest yield of ‘Savoy’ baby cabbage. The results showed that both white plastic and sawdust mulches conserved moisture. When growing ‘Savoy’ baby cabbage during the warm season, it is recommended to mulch with white plastic or sawdust in order to realise near perfect growth and yield, as well to conserve soil moisture and weed suppression by white plastic.