Effect of agricultural residues and mulching on growth and yield of cucumber plants under unheated plastic house [electronic resource].

Includes references.

A trail was carried out during two growing successive autumn seasons of 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 at West Nubaria Rural Development project (WNRDP), Ministry of Agriculture and land Reclamation, Nubaria, Egypt, To utilize and investigate the effects of using agricultural residues such as maize and bean stalks mix compared to chicken manure as a soil amendment and mulch combined with plastic mulch or bare soil under unheated plastic house condition on the growth and yield of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. vs. Safa62 F1), Maize and bean stalks turned with soil, maize and bean stalks mulched, No additives, chicken manure turned with soil, chicken manure mulched on soil, compound chemical fertilizer combined with plastic mulch and bare soil were used in split plot design experiment. The obtained results indicated that, the use of chicken manure and the agricultural residues mulched on the soil had apositive effect on the chemical properties of the soil, The effect of maize and bean stalks treatment were clear in the second season. The highest results of vegetative growth and yield characteristics recorded by plastic mulch compared to the bare soil treatment. Chicken manure mulched and turned with soil followed by mulched maize and bean stalks had the highest values of vegetative growth and yield characteristics and N, P and K contents ofleaves and fruits, The reuse of agricultural residues either in mulching or turning with soil instead of burning led to store C02 in the soil by 317 and 599 kg/ton of maize and bean stalks mix and chicken manure respectively and decreased its emission. Keywords: cucumber (Cucumis sativus), agricultural residues, maize stalks, bean stalks, chicken manure, mulch, greenhouse gas emission and sustainable agriculture.

Summary in Arabic.

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