Soil quality and eggplant productivity in response to different mulching strategies under conservation tillage in organic greenhouse production
IntroductionMulching is a key practice in sustainable agriculture that improves soil quality, conserves resources, and enhances crop performance. However, comparative assessments of different mulch types under organic greenhouse conditions remain limited, particularly in semi-arid environments.Metho...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fagro.2025.1603762/full |
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| author | Roua Amami Roua Amami Khaled Ibrahimi Neji Tarchoun Wassim Saadaoui Nour El Houda Boughattas Hiba Ghazouani Hiba Ghazouani Farooq Sher Davey L. Jones Paul Milham |
| author_facet | Roua Amami Roua Amami Khaled Ibrahimi Neji Tarchoun Wassim Saadaoui Nour El Houda Boughattas Hiba Ghazouani Hiba Ghazouani Farooq Sher Davey L. Jones Paul Milham |
| author_sort | Roua Amami |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionMulching is a key practice in sustainable agriculture that improves soil quality, conserves resources, and enhances crop performance. However, comparative assessments of different mulch types under organic greenhouse conditions remain limited, particularly in semi-arid environments.MethodsA field experiment was conducted in an unheated greenhouse using a randomized complete block design with three replications. Five treatments were tested: black polyethylene mulch (BM), white polyethylene mulch (WM), straw mulch (SM), compost mulch (CM), and a bare soil control (CK). The study evaluated the impact of these treatments on soil physicochemical properties, microbial communities, and eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) growth and yield under organic farming conditions.ResultsWhite mulch significantly increased soil pH, while CK resulted in the highest soil electrical conductivity. BM maintained the highest soil temperature and water content across all dates. CM significantly enhanced soil organic matter (+0.32 g kg⁻¹), available phosphorus (+41 mg kg⁻¹), potassium (+302 mg kg⁻¹), and total nitrogen (+5.33 mg kg⁻¹) compared to CK. SM promoted the greatest microbial abundance, including bacteria, mesophilic and thermophilic fungi. The Soil Quality Index (SQI) ranged from 0.34 to 0.58, with BM recording the highest value and CK the lowest. BM also led to significant improvements in plant growth metrics and yield, with a 29.5 t ha⁻¹ increase over the other treatments.DiscussionPlastic mulch, particularly black polyethylene, proved to be the most effective in enhancing soil conditions, microbial activity, and eggplant productivity in the short term. These results highlight its potential as a cost-effective strategy for improving crop performance and soil resilience in semi-arid organic greenhouse systems. Nonetheless, further long-term studies across diverse environments and soil types are necessary to confirm the broader applicability of these findings |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-04f881dc055641cc94a6fb6db2f698a2 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2673-3218 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj-art-04f881dc055641cc94a6fb6db2f698a22025-08-20T03:43:50ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Agronomy2673-32182025-08-01710.3389/fagro.2025.16037621603762Soil quality and eggplant productivity in response to different mulching strategies under conservation tillage in organic greenhouse productionRoua Amami0Roua Amami1Khaled Ibrahimi2Neji Tarchoun3Wassim Saadaoui4Nour El Houda Boughattas5Hiba Ghazouani6Hiba Ghazouani7Farooq Sher8Davey L. Jones9Paul Milham10Higher Institute of Agricultural Sciences of Chott Mariem, University of Sousse, Chott Meriem, TunisiaInternational Society of Engineering Science and Technology, Nottingham, United KingdomHigher Institute of Agricultural Sciences of Chott Mariem, University of Sousse, Chott Meriem, TunisiaHigher Institute of Agricultural Sciences of Chott Mariem, University of Sousse, Chott Meriem, TunisiaHigher Institute of Agricultural Sciences of Chott Mariem, University of Sousse, Chott Meriem, TunisiaHigher Institute of Agricultural Sciences of Chott Mariem, University of Sousse, Chott Meriem, TunisiaInternational Society of Engineering Science and Technology, Nottingham, United KingdomRegional Field Crops Research Center of Beja, IRESA, Beja, TunisiaDepartment of Engineering, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United KingdomSchool of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, United KingdomHawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, AustraliaIntroductionMulching is a key practice in sustainable agriculture that improves soil quality, conserves resources, and enhances crop performance. However, comparative assessments of different mulch types under organic greenhouse conditions remain limited, particularly in semi-arid environments.MethodsA field experiment was conducted in an unheated greenhouse using a randomized complete block design with three replications. Five treatments were tested: black polyethylene mulch (BM), white polyethylene mulch (WM), straw mulch (SM), compost mulch (CM), and a bare soil control (CK). The study evaluated the impact of these treatments on soil physicochemical properties, microbial communities, and eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) growth and yield under organic farming conditions.ResultsWhite mulch significantly increased soil pH, while CK resulted in the highest soil electrical conductivity. BM maintained the highest soil temperature and water content across all dates. CM significantly enhanced soil organic matter (+0.32 g kg⁻¹), available phosphorus (+41 mg kg⁻¹), potassium (+302 mg kg⁻¹), and total nitrogen (+5.33 mg kg⁻¹) compared to CK. SM promoted the greatest microbial abundance, including bacteria, mesophilic and thermophilic fungi. The Soil Quality Index (SQI) ranged from 0.34 to 0.58, with BM recording the highest value and CK the lowest. BM also led to significant improvements in plant growth metrics and yield, with a 29.5 t ha⁻¹ increase over the other treatments.DiscussionPlastic mulch, particularly black polyethylene, proved to be the most effective in enhancing soil conditions, microbial activity, and eggplant productivity in the short term. These results highlight its potential as a cost-effective strategy for improving crop performance and soil resilience in semi-arid organic greenhouse systems. Nonetheless, further long-term studies across diverse environments and soil types are necessary to confirm the broader applicability of these findingshttps://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fagro.2025.1603762/fullplastic film mulchplasticultureorganic mulchesmicrobial communitysoil quality indexcrop growth |
| spellingShingle | Roua Amami Roua Amami Khaled Ibrahimi Neji Tarchoun Wassim Saadaoui Nour El Houda Boughattas Hiba Ghazouani Hiba Ghazouani Farooq Sher Davey L. Jones Paul Milham Soil quality and eggplant productivity in response to different mulching strategies under conservation tillage in organic greenhouse production Frontiers in Agronomy plastic film mulch plasticulture organic mulches microbial community soil quality index crop growth |
| title | Soil quality and eggplant productivity in response to different mulching strategies under conservation tillage in organic greenhouse production |
| title_full | Soil quality and eggplant productivity in response to different mulching strategies under conservation tillage in organic greenhouse production |
| title_fullStr | Soil quality and eggplant productivity in response to different mulching strategies under conservation tillage in organic greenhouse production |
| title_full_unstemmed | Soil quality and eggplant productivity in response to different mulching strategies under conservation tillage in organic greenhouse production |
| title_short | Soil quality and eggplant productivity in response to different mulching strategies under conservation tillage in organic greenhouse production |
| title_sort | soil quality and eggplant productivity in response to different mulching strategies under conservation tillage in organic greenhouse production |
| topic | plastic film mulch plasticulture organic mulches microbial community soil quality index crop growth |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fagro.2025.1603762/full |
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