Effect of a Novel Polyethylene Mulch Material On Soil Temperature and Yield of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

The aim of this study was to reveal the effect of bubble polyethylene (PE) mulch material and other color mulch materials on the increase in soil temperature as well as lettuce yield. The study was conducted under greenhouse in Isparta, Turkey, in the 2018–2019 winter-spring seasons. The following treatments were evaluated: bubble transparent PE mulch (1); black color PE mulch (2); transparent PE mulch (3); white fabric material (4) and without mulching (control). Soil temperatures were measured midway between plants at 5 and 10 cm soil depths. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa. L.) was cultivated as plant material. At harvest; marketable yield, growth data and roots weights were measured. The temperature values measured from the transparent PE treatment were determined 3.8 °C higher than from the control treatment. The bubble PE treatment achieved very effective results compared to other traditional treatments. Approximately 2.5 °C higher average temperature values were obtained compared to the black color mulch material. The newly tested bubble PE mulch material yielded 43–49% increase in yield compared to black mulch material in both years. It has been determined that the cultivation period is important in the selection of the color of the mulch material to be used, and the use of transparent or bubbled PE material, especially in winter cultivation, causes an increase in yield in lettuce cultivation.