Fuentes Fuster, Jorge L.

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    Efectos de bioestimulantes y coberturas de suelo en el rendimiento de sandía y supresión de malezas en un sistema con manejo orgánico
    (2012) Fuentes Fuster, Jorge L.; Morales Payán, José P.; College of Agricultural Sciences; Márquez Méndez, Pedro E.; Martínez Garrastazú, Sonia L.; Department of Crops and Agro-Environmental Sciences; Gregory Crespo, Alexandra
    Experiments were conducted in 2010 and 2011 in Isabela and Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, to determine the effect of mulches and biostimulants on weed suppression, yield, and quality attributes of organically-managed watermelon. In a container study, mulching treatments consisted of grey low-density polyethylene film, brown wrapping paper covered with grey low density polyethylene film, shredded fresh foliage of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum), shredded dry leaves of coconut (Cocos nucifera), and a control without mulching maintained weed-free by hand. The same treatments from the container study were used in the field experiments, with an additional ‘always weedy’ (non-mulched and never weeded) treatment, and the mulching treatments were combined with applications of two biostimulants sprayed to the crop leaves from flowering to one week prior to fruit harvesting. The biostimulants were an extract of the marine alga Ascophyllum nodosum and a blend of amino acids + potassium formulated for agricultural use. The most abundant weeds for both field experiments were Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense), pigweed (Amaranthus dubius), purslane (Portulaca oleracea), pink woodsorrel (Oxalis debilis), milk weed (Euphorbia heterophylla) and purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus). Results showed that the mulches in the container experiment did not affect watermelon vegetative growth as measured until crop flowering, and thus the mulches would act mainly as physical barriers for weed growth. In the field experiments, weed biomass accumulation was highest and there was no yield in plots managed without mulching and never weeded, whereas the mulching treated with the polyethylene film and paper + polyethylene film were the most efficient weed suppressors and resulted in the highest watermelon yield. Mulching with shredded coconut and elephant grass foliage partially suppressed weed biomass (up to 67%), and resulted in watermelon fruit number and weight yield approximately 60% lower as compared to plots where the polyethylene film mulch was used. Soluble solid content in watermelon fruit pulp was significantly higher when biostimulants were applied in the 2010-2011 experiment (less rainfall) but not in the 2010 experiment (more rainfall). Watermelons from plots with polyethylene mulching had higher concentrations of soluble solids than fruit from plots mulched with shredded foliage. While polyethylene mulching resulted in the highest watermelon yield and quality, there is ecological concern over its environmental fate, and organic growers may prefer to mulch with readily biodegradable plant materials. Further research is needed to enhance the efficacy of plant biomass used for mulching and increase watermelon yields to levels similar to those obtained when using polyethylene mulch in organic and ecological systems.