engleski

Plant growth and yield of kale (Brassica oleracea Acephala group) cultivars under plastic film mulch.

The objective was to determine the effects of plastic film mulch on growth and yield of kale U.S. commercial cultivars and accessions from Croatia. The study was conducted in Tifton, GA during the winter, spring, and summer of 2011. Six-week-old kale seedlings were planted in the field on raised beds (1.8-m centers) covered with plastic film mulch. The design was a randomized complete block with a split plot arrangement and three replications, with plastic film mulch (black and silver-over-black) being the whole-plots and kale cultivars (17 Croatian accessions and 8 commercial cultivars) the split-plots. Plant growth, chlorophyll index (SPAD), volumetric soil water content (SWC), root zone temperature at 10 cm deep (RZT) and canopy temperature were monitored over the growing season. Ranges in growth attributes among cultivars were: leaf weight (10–110 g), plant height (35–55 cm), number of marketable leaves (5–130 per plant), leaf marketable yield (0.4–1.5 kg/plant). There was a higher incidence of downy mildew and insect damage in Croatian accessions than in the commercial cultivars. In general, leaf marketable yield was higher in commercial cultivars than in the Croatian accessions. Plant height, chlorophyll index (SPAD), stem diameter, and SWC were higher, while RZT and canopy temperature were lower on silver mulch than on black mulch, suggesting that plant growth on black mulch was affected by the increased RZT and canopy temperature. Leaf marketable yield, however, was unaffected by plastic mulch.

chlorophyll index; Croatia accessions; root zone temperature

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