Experimental investigation on the effect of soil solarization incorporating black, silver, and transparent polythene, and straw as mulch, on the microbial population and weed growth

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 336; p. 139263
• Main Authors: Shinde, Yogesh A., Jagtap, Megha P., Patil, Minakshi G., Khatri, Narendra
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2023
• Subjects: Agriculture - methods; Farms; Mulching; Polyethylene; Soil; Soil microbial count; Soil solarization; Weed control efficiency; Weed index; Soil microbial count; Weed control efficiency; Mulching; Weed index; Soil solarization
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139263

Soil solarization is a non-chemical method for eliminating crop-threatening weeds and selectively decontaminating soil. The effect of various soil solarization with black, silver, transparent polythene sheet and straw as mulching on the microbial count and weed growth was studied experimentally. The farm investigation comprised six soil solarization treatments: mulching with black, silver, and transparent polyethylene sheets of 25 μm (μ), organic mulch (soybean Straw), weed-free, and control. All six treatments were repeated in four sets in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) plot size of 5.4 m × 4.8 m. Black, silver, and transparent polythene mulches significantly reduced fungal count compared to non-solarized soil. Straw mulch significantly increased soil fungal count. Solarized treatments had much lower bacterial populations than straw mulch, weed-free, and control treatments. Black, silver, straw mulch, and transparent polythene had 18746, 22763, 23999, and 3048 weeds ha−1 at 45 days after transplanting (DAT). The analysis of dry weed weight demonstrated a significantly low weed dry weight of 0.44 t/ha for black polythene (T1) based soil solarization, representing an 86.66% reduction in dry weed biomass. Soil solarization had the lowest weed index (WI), with black polythene mulch (T1) reducing weed competition. Among various soil solarization treatments, black polythene (T1) showed the highest weed control efficiency of 85.84%, indicating its suitability for use in weed control. The results suggest that soil solarization is effective for soil disinfestation and weed control with polyethene mulch and summer heat in central India. [Display omitted] •Soil solarization with black, silver, transparent polythene, and soyabean straw mulch on microbial count and weed growth.•Black polythene mulch sheet (T1) reduced bacteria by 48.78%, whereas control (T6) had the most fungus.•Mean total weed count ha−1 increased from 15 DAT (16281) to 45 DAT (24770).•Weed dry weight was highest in the control (3.02 t/ha−1).•Weed-free (T5) had the highest weed control efficacy (92.82%), followed by black polythene (T1) with 85.84%.