2019 ASHS Annual Conference

A field experiment was conducted to study the efficacy of using four different mulching materials (clear plastic, black plastic, bio-degradable film, straw) for cucumber production in Fargo, ND. Each of the mulching materials (4-ft wide, 25-ft long) was used to cover each of the raised bed rows (20-ft long, 4-ft between rows) and cucumber seeds were sown in holes made on the mulch 2 ft apart. For the straw mulching, seeds were planted 2 ft apart on the rows and straw was used to cover the row after seedlings emerge from the soil. The experimental layout was a split block system in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Each experiment included 8 treatments representing the combination of four mulch types and two cultivars (Marketmore 76 and Regal F₁). Seeds were sown on June 8 and fruit harvesting continued until Sep 10. During the growing season, soil temperature was taken at 5 and 15 cm below the soil surface and air temperature was taken at 15 cm above the soil surface for each of the mulch type. Fruits were harvested twice a week from 5 plants as sub-plots and 4 replications. For Marketmore 76 (slicing cucumber), plants grown with clear plastic produced significantly higher number of fruits per plant, total fruit yield and number of marketable fruits as compared to non-mulched control. However, fruit yields among four different mulching treatments were not statistically different. For Regal F₁ (pickling cucumber), straw mulched recorded highest value for fruit number and fruit yield than in the control. The average fruit weight, size, tissue pH and Brix reading were unaffected by mulching treatments. The soil temperatures measured at 5 cm and 15 cm depth were highest under clear plastic film compared to other mulches. Soil temperatures under all the mulches were higher during the early growing period. However, differences in soil temperature between mulched and non-mulched control plot became smaller as the plants grew larger covering the entire soil surfaces.