Swiss Chard ( Beta vulgaris L.) Water Use Efficiency and Yield under Organic and Inorganic Mulch Application

Abstract

South Africa is considered as a water scarce country and water shortage is a major constrains that often limits growth, yield, and quality of Swiss chard. A field experiment was conducted on Swiss chard ( Beta vulgaris L.) in loamy soil to evaluate Water Use Efficiency (WUE), weed control, yield, and quality response to organic and inorganic mulch application during the winter/spring season (June to September). Treatments included bare - soil (control), grass/hay, and newspaper, white - maize - meal bag, white plastic and black plastic mulches. Black plastic, newspaper, and grass/hay mulc hes suppressed weeds significantly, which were encouraged under bare - soil, white plastic, and maize - meal bag mulch conditions. There was an increase in the number of leaves and leaf fresh mass with white plastic mulch, while bare - soil reduced plant dry mas s and leaf area significantly. Leaf area was improved with white plastic, black plastic and maize - meal bag mulches. White plastic and grass/hay mulch improved WUE significantly, and exceled above other treatments at 259.9 and 242.0 kg ha - 1 mm - 1 , respective ly, followed by black plastic mulch at 207 kg ha - 1 mm - 1 . Water use efficiency declined in the newspaper, maize - meal, and bare - soil treatments at 179, 130 and 74.7 kg ha - 1 mm - 1 WUE , respectively. Thus, the study reveals that the use of mulch under drip irri gation has an explicit role in increasing water productivity of Swiss chard. Keywords: Leaf area, Plant fresh mass, Water applied, Weed control