EFFECT OF POLYETHYLENE BLACK PLASTIC MULCH ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF TWO SUMMER VEGETABLE CROPS UNDER RAIN-FED CONDITIONS UNDER SEMI-ARID REGION CONDITIONS

Water use efficiency in agriculture can be enhanced by several strategies mainly by reducing evaporation from the soil surface. The mulching techniques were being used widely in irrigated crop production worldwide. The mulching techniques can be also implemented in summer vegetables production under rain-fed conditions. The current study aimed at evaluating the effect of polyethylene black plastic mulch on growth and yield of okra, Abelmoschus esculentus and summer squash, Cucurbita pepo L. under rain-fed conditions of Jordan. Two field experiments were conducted during summer growing season at Al-Rabbah Agricultural Research Station, Mu’tah University, Jordan. Soil cover treatments were polyethylene black plastic mulch and no mulch (bare soil). The results indicated that the mulched plots had higher soil moisture content than bare soil plots, which has positively reflected on vegetative and yield parameters. Using polyethylene plastic mulch had pronounced positive effect on yield of okra and squash as compared to bare soil. Early, middle, late and total yield of both vegetable crops were significantly increased in plots covered with plastic mulch. In addition, fruit number and weight had also an increasing trend as fruit yield. Plots covered with black plastic mulch were produced higher fresh and dry weights of both vegetable crops. It ban be concluded that using black plastic mulch as a soil cover increased okra and squash vegetative growth and yield under rain-fed conditions.