We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Synergistic effects of magnetic water treatment and mulching on crop and soil moisture-salinity distribution
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers tested magnetic water treatment combined with different soil mulches (including plastic and rice straw) on strawberry crops irrigated with salty brackish water, finding that magnetically treated water boosted yields by 26.7% and cut soil salinity. Rice straw mulch performed as well as plastic mulch, offering a sustainable alternative that avoids adding plastic to agricultural soil.
Freshwater scarcity has increased the reliance on low quality water for irrigation purposes. Brackish and/or high salinity irrigation water may increase soil salinity and reduce yields. This study was carried out for two consecutive seasons to study the effect of magnetic treatment of brackish water and soil mulching on strawberry growth and productivity and soil moisture-salinity distribution. For this purpose, three irrigation water types were used: tap water (W1), brackish water (W2), and magnetically treated brackish water (W3). Four different soil mulches were evaluated: rice straw mulch applied at rate of 3 t ha-1 (M1), rice straw mulch applied at rate of 5 t ha-1 (M2), white polyethylene plastic mulch (M3), and black polyethylene plastic mulch (M4) compared to bare soil (M0). The results revealed that magnetic water treatment (MWT) and soil mulching significantly enhanced crop growth and productivity and improved soil moisture-salinity distribution. The difference between M2 and M4 was not statistically significant in almost all the studied traits in both growing seasons. This result highlights the potential of using rice straw as a sustainable alternative to plastic mulch in strawberry cultivation. Strawberry marketable yield and water productivity increased significantly by 26.7% and 18.6% over the two growing seasons as a result of MWT, compared to untreated water. Moreover, MWT had a positive effect on reducing soil salinization. MWT led to a significant decrease in soil salinity by 17.8% compared to untreated water (W2) and the difference in soil salinity between W1 and W3 was not statistically significant. The integration of MWT and straw mulch at 5 t ha-1 (W3M2) has resulted in marketable yield increase of 32.6 and 40.9% compared to brackish water irrigation and bare soil conditions (W2M0). Hence W3M2 could be adopted as a sustainable management practice for safe use of brackish irrigation water in strawberry cultivation.
More Papers Like This
Effects of different irrigation methods and mulching on yield, growth and water use efficiency of strawberry
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers compared irrigation methods and mulching on strawberry yield and water use efficiency in a humid tropical greenhouse setting. Drip irrigation combined with mulching produced the best yields with lower water use compared to surface irrigation. The results can guide water-efficient strawberry production in tropical environments.
Mulching Practices for Sustainable Agriculture: Enhancing Yield, Soil Moisture, and Environmental Benefits in Field and Fruit Crops
AI summary Read the abstract
A review of mulching practices in sustainable agriculture finds that organic mulches improve soil fertility, moisture retention, and weed suppression while emerging biodegradable alternatives show promise in reducing plastic mulch pollution. Reducing reliance on conventional plastic film mulch is a meaningful lever for cutting agricultural microplastic contamination of soils and water systems.
Effects of Different Mulch Types on Farmland Soil Moisture in an Artificial Oasis Area
AI summary Read the abstract
Not relevant to microplastics — this study compares how different mulch materials (including conventional polyethylene plastic films) affect soil moisture retention in an arid farming region of China, focusing on water management rather than plastic fragmentation or microplastic contamination.
Exploring Plastic Mulching as a Strategy for Mitigating Drought Stress and Boosting Maize Yield in the Ecuadorian Andes
AI summary Read the abstract
A two-year field experiment in the Ecuadorian Andes found that plastic mulching increased soil water content by 8-14%, raised soil temperature by 1.26 degrees Celsius, and boosted fresh corn yield by up to 162% compared to conventional plots. While demonstrating agricultural benefits of plastic use, the study highlights a tension between food security and the potential for plastic mulch to become a source of microplastic soil contamination.
Soil water, salt, and microplastics interact during migration: Performance and mechanism
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied how microplastics and salt interact as they move through farmland soil, finding that salty conditions slow both water flow and microplastic migration, while microplastics in turn hinder the leaching of harmful salts like sodium from the soil. These complex interactions are important for understanding how contaminated agricultural soils behave and how to manage them.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.