Growth, Yield and its Components in Some Tomato Cultivars Grown on Different Dates as Affected by Soil Mulch Under Assiut Conditions

Abstract

The effect of soil mulch and planting date on growth, yield and its components in some tomato cultivars was studied in the Experimental F:;.nit of the f'acuity or Agriculture, Assiut University, Assiut, curing three successive seasons i.e., 2002- 2003, 2003-2004 and 2004-2005. Air and soil temperatures, weed abundance and growth, and the sGil contents of available-P, exchangeable-K, organic matter and total soluble salts (EC) were also studied.

Three tomato cultivars i.e., Supermarmande, Castle-rock and Strain-B were used in this work. Transplanting dates in 2002-2003 season were Oct., 6; Oct., 27 and Nov., 18, while in 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 seasons, Sept., 21; Oct., 6 or 9; Oct., 25; Nov., 20 and Dec., 10 or 14 transplanting dates were tested.

Three soil mulch treatments i.e., the use of clear polyethylene (CPE), red (RPE) and black (BPE) all of 50 11m thickness were applied. Unmulched (hand-weeded and not weeded) treatments were included as control.