PLANT AND SOIL COVERS IN DIRECT SEEDED AND TRANSPLANTED SWEET CORN

In field experiments with direct sown and transplanted sweet corn conducted in years 1987–1989 perforated polyethylene film (PE) and nonwoven polypropylene (PP) were used as direct plant covers, and black and transparent, fotodegradable PE film as soil mulching.
As compared to uncovered check, direct plant covering of the sown sweet corn accelerated harvest time by 7–13 and 7–9 days for the PE and PP covers respectively.
Except the year 1988, with high spring temperatures, the PE and PP plant covers increased the yield of direct sown sweet corn.
PE and PP covers in transplanted sweet corn increased earliness and yield only in 1987 i.e. in year with low air temperatures.
Mulching with photodegradable, transparent PE film was in effects similar to plant covering, but mulching with black PE film did not affect earliness or yield of sweet corn.
Growing from transplants as compared to direct sowing hastened the harvest by 2–3 weeks and usually increased yield of sweet corn.

VII International Symposium on Timing Field Production of Vegetables

K. Felczynski

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1994.371.41