Journal of Plant Nutrition
ISSN: 0190-4167 (Print) 1532-4087 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/lpla20
Effect of colored plastic mulch on growth, yield and nutrient status in cucumber under shade house and open field conditions Vicente Torres-Olivar, Luis Alonso Valdez-Aguilar, Antonio Cárdenas-Flores, Hugo Lira-Saldivar, Marcela Hernández-Suárez & Luis Ibarra-Jiménez To cite this article: Vicente Torres-Olivar, Luis Alonso Valdez-Aguilar, Antonio CárdenasFlores, Hugo Lira-Saldivar, Marcela Hernández-Suárez & Luis Ibarra-Jiménez (2016) Effect of colored plastic mulch on growth, yield and nutrient status in cucumber under shade house and open field conditions, Journal of Plant Nutrition, 39:14, 2144-2152, DOI: 10.1080/01904167.2016.1201108 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2016.1201108
Accepted author version posted online: 26 Jul 2016. Published online: 26 Jul 2016. Submit your article to this journal
Article views: 68
View related articles
View Crossmark data
Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=lpla20 Download by: [National Research Centre for Citrus ]
Date: 17 January 2017, At: 22:54
JOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION 2016, VOL. 39, NO. 14, 2144–2152 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2016.1201108
Effect of colored plastic mulch on growth, yield and nutrient status in cucumber under shade house and open field conditions Vicente Torres-Olivara, Luis Alonso Valdez-Aguilarb, Antonio Cardenas-Floresa, Hugo Lira-Saldivara, Marcela Hernandez-Suarezc, and Luis Ibarra-Jimenez,a Departamaneto de Plasticos en la Agricultura, Centro de Investigacion en Quımica Aplicada, Coahuila, Mexico; Departamento de Horticultura, Universidad Autonoma Agraria Antonio Narro, Coahuila, Mexico; cDepartamento de Parasitologıa, Universidad Autonoma Agraria Antonio Narro, Coahuila, Mexico a
b
ABSTRACT
ARTICLE HISTORY
The aim of this study was to realize whether soil mulching, with different plastic mulch colors, is a suitable practice under shade house (SH) conditions for the culture of cucumber. To do so, cucumber was cultured mulched or not with black, blue, red or white-on-black plastic films under SH, and contrasted against mulched cucumber in open field (OF). Red mulch produced the highest shoot dry weight per plant and bare soil the lowest. However, it was the white mulch which produced the highest commercial yield per plant. Contrastingly, bare soil plants produced the lowest commercial yield. SH plants two folded photosynthetic rates compared to OF plants. Mulch color mainly impacted leaf phosphorus (P) and magnesium (Mg) content while the SH affected nitrogen (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg). Our results confirm that soil mulching, and shading positively impact the cucumber yield and quality but also show that soil mulching under SH enhances cucumber crop.
Received 28 July 2014 Accepted 11 May 2015 KEYWORDS
Plasticulture; photosynthesis; mineral nutrition; PAR; plant; biomass; yield
Introduction Consumers are increasingly demanding higher quality of horticultural products, imposing on growers the cultivation of plants under improved climatic conditions in order to achieve better produces. Compared to the cultivation in open field (OF), shade houses (SH) are an alternative for protected cultivation that allows the plants to escape from stressful factors that significantly affect the production and quality of vegetables. Shade houses partially regulate the microenvironment and are suggested for areas of low humidity, high irradiance, and elevated temperature. Compared to greenhouses, SH are lowcost efficient structures used to moderate the effects of excessive irradiance on plants and to protect them from wind and hail damage; in addition, SH improve the temperature and humidity regimes, increase irrigation water use efficiency, and prevent pest and bird damage (Tanny et al., 2006). Shade house affect the quality of light by increasing the relative proportion of diffusive light as well as absorbing different spectral bands; affecting the cultivated plants and other organisms associated with them (Stamps, 2009). The use of shade cloths of different color, or aluminized nets, dramatically changes both the irradiance and the spectral balance of the transmitted irradiation, modifying plant performance (Ganelevin, 2008). Mulching of soils with plastic films increases crop efficiency in the use of nutrients, irrigation water, and agrochemicals, however, the main objective of this technique is to maximize yield, increase fruit CONTACT Luis Ibarra-Jimenez
[email protected] Centro de Investigacion en Quımica Aplicada, 25294 Coahuila, Mexico. Color versions of one or more of the figures in the article can be found online at www.tandfonline.com/lpla. © 2016 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
JOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION
2145
quality and harvest earliness (Tarara, 2000; Fan et al., 2005; Ibarra-Jimenez et al., 2011). Mulching of soils affects the quantity and distribution of soil moisture, increases the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in plant canopy (Tarara, 2000), increases photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) due to the reflective properties of plastic films (Cohen and Fuchs, 1999), and increases soil temperatures, usually in the 0–30 cm soil profile (Hanna et al., 1997). The color of plastic films selected for soil mulching determines the performance of the radiant energy, impacting the microclimate around the cultivated plants. The response of plants to the colored film is the result of the interaction among the quality of the light reflected by the surface of the plastic film, the capacity for transmission of solar radiation, and the increase in soil temperature. The impact of the plastic films on soil temperature and crop canopy microclimate depends on their properties: reflection, transmission, and absorption of light (Ham et al., 1993). Root zone temperature influences physiological processes in roots such as the uptake of water and nutrients (Dıaz-Perez, 2010; Dodd et al., 2000; Tindall et al., 1990; Ibarra-Jimenez et al., 2011). In Mexico, thousands of hectares are cultivated with tomato and bell pepper under SH; however, plastic mulching of soils is scarcely used. To our understanding, there is very little research performed to define the combined effect of the use of plastic mulching of soils and the cultivation under SH. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of colored plastic mulches on soil temperature, expressed in heat units, growth, photosynthesis and yield of cucumber plants grown in OF or SH conditions.
Materials and methods The experiment was conducted in Saltillo, Coahuila, in the semi-arid region of north Mexico (1520 m above sea level, 25 270 N and 101 020 W), during the spring of 2010 in a clayey soil (clay 47%, silt 32%, sand 21%). Mean minimum and maximum air temperatures were 16 C and 29 C, respectively. The average annual rainfall was in the range of 350 to 400 mm; 80% of the total rainfall was shed from July to September. The experimental unit for the two environmental conditions assayed shade house (SH) and open field (OF) consisted of individual beds, 8.0 m in length for both environmental conditions) spaced 1.8 m apart. Throughout the growing season (90 days), plants in both conditions were fertigated every 7 days, totaling 240 kg ha¡1 N (nitrogen), 240 kg ha¡1 P (phosphorus), and 100 kg ha¡1 K (potassium) at experiment termination. This fertilization rate was comparable to that applied by cucumber farmers in some Mexican areas. No fertilization prior to seeding was applied. Drip irrigation tape with emitters spaced 0.305 m apart was placed on the soil surface at the center of each bed. On May 14 and 15, seeds of cucumber (Cucumis sativus) cv. Dasher II were seeded in a single row per bed at 0.20 m spacing, obtaining 27, 777 plants ha¡1 in both, OF and SH. In OF, the plants was staked using a wooden pole (1.6 m tall from the soil level) every 2.5 m within the bed and galvanized wire (caliber 1.2 mm) at 0.20 and 1.5 m above the soil surface. The wiring was used to build a trellis for growing the plants vertically. Plants in the SH were seeded in a zigzag pattern and pruned to one shoot, which was tied to a string and then hung on the wire. Both systems of conduction are the conventional method used for plants grown in OF and SH conditions by cucumber growers. Soil temperature on each treatment was measured at a depth of 10 cm in relation to the top of the bed (midpoint between plants) using copper-constantan thermocouples connected to a 23 X datalogger (Campbell Scientific, Inc., Logan, UT, USA) programmed for sampling data with a frequency of 10 s¡1. Daily mean, maximum and minimum soil temperatures were recorded during the growing season. Using daily temperatures, heat units (HU) accumulated during the growing season were calculated using the equation: HU D [(Tmin C Tmax)/2]-Tbase where HU D heat units; Tmin is minimum soil temperature, Tmax is maximum soil temperature and Tbase D 10 C (Ibarra-Jimenez et al., 2012). Measurements of growth were performed on two plants per replication. Plants located at the row end were not used for sampling. Dry weight of leaves and the whole plant (including inflorescences) were determined (fruits were excluded). Plants were sampled at 15, 30 and 45 days after sowing (DAS).
2146
V. TORRES-OLIVAR ET AL.
Leaf area was measured with a leaf area meter (LI-3100, LI-COR, Lincoln, NE, USA). Dry weight was determined on plant samples that were dried at 70 C for 48 h in a forced-air oven. Photosynthetic and transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, PAR, air temperature, leaf temperature, relative humidity and concentration of CO2 were measured between 11:00 and 14:00 hours on the third leaf of the top of the plant with a portable photosynthesis system (LI-6200, LI-COR). Harvest of fruits was performed twice a week for 8 weeks and yield was calculated by weighing all the fruits collected; the first two harvests were considered to be early yield. Commercial yield was determined weighing only the fruits that met quality standards demanded by the market, whereas cull yield included fruits of lower quality. Nutrient concentration [total N, P, K, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S)] was determined on fully expanded young leaves sampled at experiment termination. Leaves were washed twice in distilled water and bagged prior placement in an oven at 70 C; once the plants parts were dry, they were ground to pass a 40-mesh screen with an analytical mill (model A-10, Tekmar, Cincinnati, OH, USA). Total-N was determined using the Kjeldhal procedure and the other nutrients were determined in acid digests of plant samples using inductively-coupled-plasma emission spectrophotometry. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with two factors with three replications of one row each. The two factors were the environmental conditions and the color of the plastic film used for soil mulching (a non-mulched control treatment and mulching of soil with films of black, blue, red, and white-on-black color; Pliant, Chesterbrook, PA, USA). The plastic films were 1.20 m width and 0.030 mm thick. Shade net was crystal color with 50% shade. The data were analyzed using Statistical Analysis System PROC GLM (SAS, Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA) and the means were separated using the Tukey test (P 0.05).
Results and discussion Leaf area Mulched plants exhibited higher leaf area than plants grown in bare soil at 15 days after seeding (DAS) (P 0.05); at 30 DAS only the plants mulched with red plastic film exhibited higher leaf area compared to control plants (Table 1). At 45 DAS, leaf area was similar in all the treatments. Our results suggest that leaf expansion of plants is enhanced by soil mulching only in the initial phases of plant growth. Significant effects were detected on leaf area due to environment effect as plants grown in shade house (SH) showed higher leaf surface than those in the open field (OF) (P 0.05) in the three sampling Table 1. Leaf area of cucumber plants affected by soil mulching with plastic films of different color and under shade house or open field conditions. Leaf area x (cm2 plant¡1) Treatments Film color Red Black Blue White Bare soil Environment Shade house Open field P Environment (A) Film color (B) AxB
15 DASy
30 DAS
45 DAS
1757 a 1716 a 1589 a 1203 b 805 c
9467 a 8083 ab 8723 ab 7886 ab 7273 b
11354 10285 11566 12226 11207
7526 a 6695 ab 7293 ab 7105 ab 6428 b
2111 a 717 b
8818 a 7755 b
12689 a 9967 b
7872 a 6146 b
0.001 0.001 0.243
0.023 0.043 0.343
0.001 0.132 0.203
0.001 0.014 0.100
Means (n D 6) within each column followed by different letter are statistically different after Tukey’s HSD test (p D 0.05). DAS D Days after seeding. z The mean is the average of the leaf area of the three sampling dates (n D 18). x
y
Meanz
JOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION
2147
dates (Table 1). Leaf area of SH plants averaged 7872 cm2 over the three sampling dates whereas plants in the OF recorded 6146 cm2. The increased leaf area of SH plants was probably associated with a redistribution of the leaf surface due to acclimation the environmental conditions imposed by the SH, including the dispersion of irradiance, an adaptive mechanism to up regulate photosynthetic rates due to the decreased irradiance caused by the shade cloth (Medina et al., 2002). Shade cloth may also decrease the transmission of UV-B radiation into the house, which has been reported to be associated with significant reductions in leaf and cell expansion as well as in decreased cell number and division (Nogues et al., 1998). A reduction in leaf temperature in SH plants can also contribute to increased carbohydrates synthesis and leaf formation, impacting foliar growth and expansion (Lafarge et al., 1998; Granier et al., 2002). Similar results on growth and development of tomato plants have been reported by Kittas et al. (2009) as a higher leaf area index was observed in SH plants compared to plants in OF conditions. In contrast, leaf dry weight of plants grown in OF was higher than in SH plants, implying that in OF the leaves have higher specific weights (data not shown). Biomass. Shoot dry mass (biomass) of mulched plants was higher (P 0.05) with respect to control plants when sampled at 15 days after seeding (15 DAS) (Table 2), whereas at 30 DAS only the plants mulched with red plastic films exhibited higher biomass compared with control plants; at 45 DAS no significant effects were detected. This response was similar to that exhibited by leaf area as mulching had higher influence only in the initial phases of plant growth. Shoot biomass was significantly affected by the environments studied (P 0.05) (Table 2); at 15 DAS, plants grown under SH conditions showed higher biomass accumulation than OF plants (Table 2). However, when averaged across sampling dates and at 30 and 45 DAS, biomass accumulation of OF plants was 26% higher than in SH plants, which was due to the pruning of stems performed on SH plants. The higher shoot biomass of OF plants can be due to an adjustment in dry mass allocation, as in environments of lower irradiance an increase in leaf specific weight (LSW) has been reported (Evans and Poorter, 2001), suggesting that in plants under shade there was an increase in LSW due to an increase in leaf area per unit of leaf weight (Evans and Poorter, 2001), suggesting that the leaves were thinner when plants were grown under lower irradiance conditions. Another adaptation to shading conditions consists of increasing leaf weight rate, indicating that there is an increase in biomass allocation to the assimilative surface, however, in the present study this effect was observed only in the early stages of growth. Paez and L opez (2000) reported that in some species under shade, the biomass which was distributed towards the leaves is lower with regards to the effect on specific leaf area (SLA). Similar results have been reported by Paez and L opez (2000) in tomato grown under the shade of trees.
Table 2. Shoot dry biomass of cucumber plants affected by soil mulching with plastic films of different color and under shade house or open field conditions. Shoot dry biomass x (g plant¡1) Treatments Film color Red Black Blue White Bare soil Environment Shade house Open field P Environment (A) Film color (B) AxB
15 DASy
30 DAS
45 DAS
Meanz
9.0 a 8.7 a 8.0 ab 6.3 b 3.9 c
49.3 a 39.1 ab 42.3 ab 38.9 ab 36.5 b
65.9 57.6 67.3 69.7 59.7
41.4 a 35.2 b 39.2 ab 38.3 ab 33.4 b
9.5 a 4.9 b
33.3 b 49.0 a
56.7 b 71.4 a
33.2 b 41.8 a
0.001 0.001 0.262
0.001 0.039 0.223
0.001 0.080 0.071
Means (n D 6) within each column followed by different letter are statistically different after Tukey’s HSD test (p D 0.05). DAS D Days after seeding. z The mean is the average of the leaf area of the three sampling dates (n D 18). x
y
0.0001 0.0005 0.074
2148
V. TORRES-OLIVAR ET AL.
Heat units Regardless of the film color, mulching of soils resulted in higher heat units accumulated compared with bare soil in all the sampling dates (Table 3), indicating that the plastics films allowed a higher maximum and minimum temperatures of soil. Heat units in the soil were significantly affected by the environment on which cucumber plants were grown (P 0.05) (Table 3), as a greater accumulation of degree days in the soil under SH conditions was observed at 10 and 30 DAS; however, at 40, 50 and 60 DAS, the accumulation of heat in the soil was higher in OF than in SH. The lower accumulation of heat units in the soil under SH conditions can be due to the shade cloth as it reduces the irradiance reaching the ground; the greater the shading is, the greater the irradiance is blocked and the lower the accumulation of heat in the soil. Sofo et al. (2004) reported that a reduction in irradiance affects air, plant, soil temperature and relative humidity in an olive tree orchard. Physiological responses Mulching of soils in both growing environments had no significant effects on PAR, environmental CO2, air temperature, leaf temperature, relative humidity, net photosynthesis, intercellular CO2, stomatal conductance, and transpiration (data not shown). Air temperature, considered as one of the most important growth controlling factors in plants (Liu et al., 2013), was affected by the growing environment as a lower temperature was recorded in SH, probably due to the reduced irradiance associated with the use of the shade net (Figure 1). However, the objective of shade nets is not irradiance reduction, but to decrease excessively high temperatures during the warm season of the year. In this line, the material used as shade nets should be a selective filter that gradually blocks infrared radiation with no effect on PAR. In addition, the blocked infrared radiation must be reflected back to the atmosphere, so it is not transmitted towards the interior of the SH or greenhouses in the form of heat (Ayala-Tafoya et al., 2011). Leaf temperature (Figure 1) was higher in OF plants, as it is the result of the higher energy absorbed from sun radiation and radiation generated by other sources and the loss of energy by cooling. Leaf temperature is also reduced by the effect of shade cloth as it allows a greater convective movement of warm air to the top of the SH, resulting in reduced air temperature near the plants (Tanny et al., 2008). The reduction in light quantity by the shade cloth may also explain the decrease in leaf temperature, which in turn impacts leaf growth and expansion (Granier and Tardieu, 1998; Lafarge et al., 1998; Granier et al., 2002). Net photosynthesis rate was similar in both, mulched and bare soil plants (data not shown). However, net photosynthesis (Figure 2) was higher in SH plants regardless of the reduced irradiance under such growing environment. In OF conditions, a light intensity that is higher than the limits of Table 3. Heat units of cucumber crop soil affected by mulching with plastic films of different color, and under shade house or open field conditions, at ten-cm soil depth. Heat unitsx Treatments Film color Red Black Blue White Bare soil Environment Shade house Open field P Environment (A) Film color (B) AxB
10 DASy
20 DAS
30 DAS
40 DAS
50 DAS
60 DAS
Total
18.4 b 18.5 b 18.9 a 16.5 c 14.5 d
17.3 b 17.1 b 17.8 a 16.1 c 14.0 d
14.3 a 14.1 b 14.1 b 13.7 c 12.5 d
13.4 a 13.0 b 12.7 c 12.6 c 11.6 d
14.3 a 13.9 b 13.8 bc 13.5 c 12.0 d
13.5 a 13.3 a 12.9 b 12.7 b 11.3 c
91.1 a 89.7 b 90.2 ab 85.2 c 75.9 d
17.5 a 17.2 b
16.6 16.4
14.6 a 12.8 b
11.8 b 13.6 a
13.2 b 13.7 a
12.0 b 13.4 a
85.7 b 87.2 a
0.002 0.001 0.211
0.068 0.001 0.110
0.001 0.001 0.211
0.001 0.001 0.312
0.001 0.001 0.212
0.001 0.001 0.410
0.001 0.001 0.312
Means within each column followed by different letter are statistically different after Tukey’s HSD test (p D 0.05). DAS D Days after seeding.
x
y
JOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION
2149
Figure 1. Leaf temperature (top) and air temperature (bottom) in cucumber plants in two growing environments (open field and shade house), as affected by mulching the soil with different colored plastic films. Error bars are the standard error of the mean (n D 15).
adaptation of a plant species, combined with other stress-causing factors, can cause a reduction of photosynthetic activity; in contrast, the flow of photosynthetic photons was not a limiting factor for plants grown in SH as the shading reduced the irradiance. The decrease of photosynthesis rate observed in OF plants despite the greater light intensity is in agreement with reports indicating that if the absorbed light energy reaching the reaction centers exceeds the quantity of energy that can be used, damages in the photosynthetic apparatus can arise (Lucinski and Jackowski, 2006), causing photoinhibition (Yordanov and Veleikova, 2000).
Figure 2. Photosynthetic rate of leaves of cucumber plants grown in two environments (open filed and shade house), as affected by mulching the soil with different colored plastic films. Error bars are the standard error of the mean (n D 15).
2150
V. TORRES-OLIVAR ET AL.
Table 4. Leaf nutrient content of cucumber plants affected by soil mulching with plastic films of different color, and under shade house or open field conditions. Nutrient content Treatments Film color Red Black Blue White Bare soil Environment Shade house Open field P Environment (A) Film color (B) AxB
x
K (ppm)
Ca (ppm)
Mg (ppm)
P (ppm)
N (%)
9333 9500 9875 9541 8667
12991 13822 11177 13620 11919
8619 a 7267 b 5714 c 7143 b 7134 b
2190 a 2033 ab 1944 ab 1974 ab 1788 b
1.62 1.60 1.61 1.66 1.47
10750 a 8017 b
12215 13196
5822 b 8529 a
1989 1983
1.68 a 1.51 b
0.001 0.452 0.411
0.100 0.084 0.071
0.001 0.001 0.112
0.071 0.001 0.582
0.003 0.163 0.284
Means (n D 3) within each column followed by different letter are statistically different after Tukey’s HSD test (p D 0.05).
x
Leaf Nutrient Concentration. Leaf Mg and P concentration were significantly affected by mulching (P 0.05) while K, Ca, and N exhibited no significant effects (Table 4). The growing environment had a significant effect (P 0.05) on leaf concentration of K, Mg and N, but Ca and P concentration were unaffected (Table 4). The highest concentration of K and N was observed in SH plants, however, the highest concentration of Mg was detected in OF plants. The higher leaf K concentration in SH plants may be associated with the higher fruit production as leaves are largely the most K-demanding plant part. Potassium concentration in fruits is reported to range from 70% to 80% of total K extracted by plants (Bugarın et al., 2002). The larger leaf area observed in SH plants may be also associated with the higher concentration of K detected, as a major role of this nutrient is related with cell expansion and enlargement (Elumalai et al., 2002). The lower concentration of Mg in SH plants was probably due to the antagonistic relationship with K since the latter is more easily absorbed because monovalent cations are uptaken by plants at a higher rate than divalent ions (Demidchik et al., 2002). The higher N concentration may explain the higher photosynthetic rate detected in SH plants (Figure 2) as Rubisco activity and CO2 fixation are related with N metabolism (Winder and Nishio, 1995), suggesting that SH plants require higher N uptake. Leaf Mg and P concentrations were higher in plants mulched with films of red color (Table 4), which was associated with higher growth, increased leaf area (Table 1) and higher shoot biomass accumulation (Table 2), compared with control plants in bare soil. The higher Mg and P concentrations indicate that there was a higher uptake rate of such nutrients, probably due to a higher activity of roots in response to the higher accumulation of heat in the soil mulched with red film (Table 3) and/or a higher activity of P-solubilizing soil-borne bacteria due to the higher temperatures in soil. Yield. Commercial and total yield at early harvests were higher (P 0.05) in mulched plants with regards to those grown in bare soil (Table 5); similar results were observed in the remaining harvestings. Higher early and total yield in plants grown in mulched soil has been reported in previous studies in cucumber (Ibarra-Jimenez et al., 2008) and have been associated with a higher soil temperature and other factors that enhance the production of fruits, i.e. a higher availability of nutrients, improved soil structure and lower weed competition during the growing season (Lamont, 2005). Comparing yield of plants under SH with those grown in OF conditions, significant differences (P 0.05) in commercial and total yield were detected (Table 5), nonetheless, early and late yield were unaffected. Commercial yield was higher in SH plants compared with that of OF plants; the higher yield in SH plants was due to a higher number of fruits developed, 153% higher than that in OF plants. The higher commercial yield observed under SH conditions may be also due to the decreased damage by insects, wind and extreme temperatures. Higher yield may be also explained by the improved
JOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION
2151
Table 5. Early, commercial, cull and total yield of cucumber plants as affected by soil mulching with plastic films of different color, and under shade house or open field conditions. Yield per plant x Earlyy Treatments Film color Red Black Blue White Bare soil Environment Shade house Open field P Environment (A) Film color (B) AxB
Commercial
Cull
Total
(fruits)
(kg)
(fruits)
(kg)
(fruits)
(kg)
(fruits)
(kg)
3.19 a 3.22 a 2.65 a 2.77 a 1.89 b
1.03 a 1.04 a 0.87 a 0.93 a 0.58 b
8.02 a 8.29 a 7.63 ab 8.11 a 7.08 b
3.32 a 3.37 a 3.14 a 3.40 a 2.78 b
1.12 1.41 1.05 1.12 1.06
0.26 ab 0.33 a 0.24 b 0.27 ab 0.27 ab
9.13 abc 9.70 a 8.68 bc 9.23 ab 8.13 c
3.57 ab 3.71 a 3.38 b 3.67 ab 3.05 c
2.76 2.73
0.89 0.89
11.22 a 4.43 b
4.65 a 1.76 b
1.22 1.08
0.29 0.26
12.43 a 5.52 b
4.94 a 2.01 b
0.131 0.002 0.151
0.172 0.001 0.063
0.001 0.005 0.130
0.0001 0.0001 0.112
0.210 0.074 0.230
0.071 0.042 0.256
0.001 0.003 0.864
0.001 0.001 0.062
Means within each column followed by different letter are statistically different after Tukey’s HSD test (p D 0.05). Early yield D fruits harvested in first 2 cuttings; Commercial D fruits fulfilling commercial standards; Cull D fruits not fulfilling commercial standards.
x
y
transmission and distribution of solar radiation towards the lower leaf canopy. An improved penetration and distribution of PAR contributes to a greater interception of radiation by the canopy, enhancing photosynthetic rate (Westgate et al., 1999). According to the results of the present study, cucumber plants produced a higher yield, better quality of fruits and exhibited increased growth when grown under SH conditions. The higher yield and growth of SH plants were associated with a higher photosynthetic rate, as well as a higher leaf K and N concentrations. Averaged across environmental conditions, mulching of soils with plastic films resulted in increased yield and growth in the initial phases of plant development, which was associated with the accumulation of heat in the soil as degree days soil and probably the increased reflection of light from the film.
Conclusions According to the results presented, it is concluded that plants under shade house (SH) increased leaf area, plant dry weight, early and total yield, with respect to plants in open field (OF). Compared with OF plants, SH plants exhibited a 125% higher total yield, photosynthesis rate and K in the leaves. In OF conditions, the higher yield was obtained with white-on-black plastic mulch, while in SH was in white-on-black, black and red plastic mulch. In SH conditions, the soil accumulated higher heat units and plants exhibited higher biomass and leaf K and temperature. Our results confirmed that soil mulching and the growing plants in SH improve cucumber growth, nutrition, yield and fruit quality, however, the contrasting response of plants associated with the the color of the plastic film indicates it should be selected properly.
References Ayala-Tafoya, F., D. M. Zatarain-L opez, M. Valenzuela-L opez, L. Partida-Ruvalcaba, T. J. Velazquez-Alcaraz, T. DıazValdes, and J. A. Osuna-Sanchez. 2011. Growth and yield of tomato in response to sun radiation transmitted by shade nets. Terra Latinoamericana 29: 403–410. Bugarin, M. R., S. A. Galvis, G. P. Sanchez, and D. P. Garcıa. 2002. Daily accumulation of aboveground dry matter and potassium in tomato. Terra 20: 401–409. Cohen, S. and M. Fuchs. 1999. Measuring and predicting radiometric properties of reflective shade nets and thermal screens. Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research 73: 245–255.
2152
V. TORRES-OLIVAR ET AL.
Demidchik, V., R. J. Davenport and M. Tester. 2002. Nonselective cation channels in plants. Annual Review of Plant Biology 53: 67–107. Dıaz-Perez, J. C. 2010. Bell pepper (Capsicum annum L.) grown on plastic film mulches: Effects on crop microenvironment, physiological attributes, and fruit yield. HortScience 45: 1196–2004. Dodd, I. C., J. He, C. G. N. Turnbull, S. K. Lee, and C. Critchley. 2000. The influence of supraoptimal root-zone temperatures on growth and stomatal conductance in Capsicum annuum L. Journal of Experimental Botany 51: 239–248. Elumalai, R. P., P. Nagpal, and J. W. Reed. 2002. A mutation in the Arabidopsis KT2/KUP2 potassium transporter gene affects shoot cell expansion. The Plant Cell 14: 119–131. Evans, J. R., and H. Poorter. 2001. Photosynthetic acclimation of plants to growth irradiance: The relative importance of specific leaf area and nitrogen partitioning in maximizing carbon gain. Plant, Cell & Environment 24: 755–767. Fan, T. A., W. A. Stewart, Y. Payne, S. Wang, J. L. Song, and C. A. Robinson. 2005 Supplemental irrigation and water–yield relationships for plasticulture crops in the loess plateau of China. Agronomy Journal 97: 177–188. Ganelevin, R. 2008. World-wide commercial applications of colored shade nets technology (ChromatinetÒ ). Acta Horticulturae 770: 199–203. Granier, C., C. Massonnet, O Turc, B. Muller, K. Chenu, and F. Tardieu. 2002. Individual leaf development in Arabidopsis thaliana: A stable thermal-timebased programme. Annals of Botany 89: 595–604. Granier, C., and F. Tardieu. 1998. Is thermal time adequate for expressing the effects of temperature on sunflower leaf development? Plant Cell and Environment 21: 695–703. Ham, J. M., G. J. Kluitenberg, and W. J. Lamont. 1993. Optical properties of plastic mulches affect the field temperature regime. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 118: 188–193. Hanna, H. Y., E. P. Millhollon, J. K. Herrick, and C. L. Fletcher. 1997. Increased yield of heat-tolerant tomatoes with deep transplanting, morning irrigation, and white mulch. HortScience 32: 224–226. Ibarra-Jimenez, L., H. Lira-Saldivar, A. Cardenas-Flores, L. A. Valdez- Aguilar. 2012. Soil solarization enhances growth and yield in dry beans. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B- Plant Soil Science 62: 541–546. Ibarra-Jimenez, L., H. Lira-Saldivar, L. A. Valdez-Aguilar, and J. Lozano-del Rıo. 2011. Colored plastic mulches affect soil temperature and tuber production of potato. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B- Plant Soil Science 61: 365–371. Ibarra-Jimenez, L., A. Zerme~ no-Gonzalez, J. Munguıa-L opez, M. R. Quezada-Martın, and M. de la Rosa-Ibarra, M. 2008. Photosynthesis, soil temperature and yield of cucumber as affected by colored plastic mulch. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B- Plant Soil Science 58: 372–378. Kittas, C. N., N. Rigakis, N. Katsoulas, and T. Bartzanas. 2009. Influence of shading screens on microclimate, growth and productivity of tomato. Acta Horticulturae (ISHS) 807: 97–102. Lafarge, T., M. de Ra€ıssac, and F. Tardieu. 1998. Elongation rate of sorghum leaves has a common response to meristem temperature in diverse African and European conditions. Field Crop Research 58: 69–79. Lamont, J. W. 2005. Plastics: Modifying the microclimate for the production of vegetable crops. HortTechnology 15: 477–481. Liu, Q. H., X. Wu, T. Li, J. Q. Ma, and X. B. Zhou. 2013. Effects of elevated air temperature on physiological characteristics of flag leaves and grain yield in rice. Chilean Journal of Agricultural Research 73: 85–90. Lucinski, R., and G. Jackowski. 2006. The structure, functions and degradation of pigment-binding proteins of photosystem II. Acta Biochimica Polonica 53: 693–708. Medina, C. L., R. P. Souza, E. C. Machado, R. V. Ribeiro, and J. A. B. Silva. 2002. Photosynthetic response of citrus grown under reflective aluminized polypropylene shading nets. Scientia Horticulturae 96: 115–125. Nogues, S., D. J. Allen, J. I. L. Morison, and N. R. Baker. 1998. Ultraviolet-B radiation effects on water relations, leaf development, and photosynthesis in droughted pea plants. Plant Physiology 117: 173–181. Paez, A. V. P., and J. C. L opez. 2000. Growth and physiological responses of tomato plants cv. Rıo Grande during May to July season. Effect of shading. Revista Facultad Agronomıa (LUZ) 17: 173–184. Sofo, A., B. Dichio, C. Xiloyannis, and A. Masia. 2004. Effects of different irradiance levels on some antioxidant enzymes and on malondialdehyde content during rewatering in olive tree. Plant Science 166: 293–302. Stamps, R. H. 2009. Use of colored shade netting in horticulture. HortScience 44: 239–241. Tanny, J., L. Haijun, and S. Cohen. 2006. Airflow characteristics, energy balance and eddy covariance measurements in a banana screenhouse. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 139: 105–118. Tanny, J., M. Teitel, M., Barak, Y, Esquira, and R. Amir. 2008. The effect of height on screenhouse microclimate. Acta Horticulturae 801: 107–114. Tarara, J. M. 2000. Microclimate modification with plastic mulch. HortScience 35: 169–179. Tindall, J. A., H. A. Mills, and D. E. Radcliffe. 1990. The effect of root zone temperature on nutrient uptake of tomato. Journal of Plant Nutrition 13: 939–956. Westgate, M. E., F. Forcella, D. C. Reicosky, and J. Somsen. 1999. Rapid canopy closure for maize production in the northern US corn belt: Radiation-use efficiency and grain yield. Field Crops Research 49: 249–258. Winder, T. L., and J. N. Nishio. 1995. Early iron deficiency stress response in leaves of sugar beet. Plant Physiology 108: 1487–1494. Yordanov, I., and V. Veleikova 2000. Photoinhibition of photosystem I. Bulgarian Journal of Plant Physiology 26: 70–92.
