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light reflected up into the plant canopy ( Ham et al., 1993 ). Reflective mulches, such as aluminum foil and aluminum-painted plastic mulches, have had mixed results relative to increasing pepper yields compared with black plastic mulch. Reflective
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) and squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) were grown in a replicated trial on three types of plastic mulch: solid black plastic mulch, solid aluminum-coated plastic mulch with a silver reflective appearance, and black plastic mulch with two aluminum-coated strips attached. Striped cucumber beetle (Acalymma vittata Fabricius) and spotted cucumber beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) counts on yellow sticky cards were obtained over eight weekly samplings. For cucumber, on the peak beetle population date, there were six times as many striped cucumber beetles in solid black plastic mulch as in aluminum-coated plastic mulch, and nearly three times as many as in black plastic mulch with aluminum strips. For squash, both striped and spotted cucumber beetle counts were significantly higher on solid black plastic mulch on three peak sampling dates than on aluminum-coated plastic mulch and black plastic mulch with aluminum strips, with counts 4.9 to 5.5 times higher in solid black plastic mulch than in aluminum-coated plastic mulch, and 2.2 to 2.6 times higher than in black plastic mulch with aluminum strips. Using a threshold of 15 beetles/sticky card, no insecticidal applications were needed on solid aluminum-coated mulch, while an average of 1.8 insecticidal applications were needed on solid black plastic mulch, and 0.8 insecticidal applications on black plastic mulch with aluminum strips. The cost of solid black plastic mulch and its insecticidal applications, $186/acre ($459/ha), was $102/acre ($252/ha) less than the cost of aluminum-coated plastic mulch without insecticidal application, $288/acre ($711/ha). However, squash fruit from plants grown on aluminum-coated plastic mulch could be direct marketed as pesticide-free, at a price 25% higher than fruit on which pesticide had been applied. For an average yield in Virginia of 600 boxes/acre (1,482 boxes/ha) [20 lb/box (9 kg/box)] of squash, this translates to a $1,200/acre ($2,964/ha) increase in revenue. Yield on aluminum-coated plastic mulch was delayed by one week, but there were no significant differences in cumulative yield over 14 harvests.
Plastic (polyethylene) mulches have been used in vegetable production in the United States since the 1950s. Black polyethylene plastic mulch is the standard plastic mulch used in vegetable production. Black plastic alters the plant's growing
et al., 2017 ; RodrÃguez-Seijo and Pereira, 2019 ). Of particular concern are the environmental impacts associated with the use and disposal of low-density polyethylene plastic mulch films for crop production ( He et al., 2015 ; Kasirajan and
production and higher yields of warm-season vegetable crops such as watermelon ( Bhella, 1988 ; Brinen et al., 1979 ; Sanders et al., 1999 ). In addition, plastic mulch reduces water evaporation and controls weeds. Wavelength-selective or -reflective
savings equated to 81.8% for BP and 90.6% for WP treatments compared with the NT treatment, as determined by soil moisture sensors. White plastic mulch saved 52% of the irrigation volume compared with BP possibly because of the reflective nature of white
better experimental control of the surface reflection properties than if white plastic was used (because white plastics have different reflective properties depending on the manufacturer and formulation). The black mulch treatment was unpainted. The
-density polyethylene (LDPE) or high-density polyethylene (HDPE) mulches, which are extensively used in vegetable crops in Florida. Another type of film is the metallized mulch, which is covered with a reflective aluminum-based coat on the surface. This type of film is
). Mulch consists of a thin layer that may be organic material (such as wood chips, grass clippings, straw, or other low-value biproducts of agriculture), textile, or films of metal or plastic. Plastic mulch films can be of synthetic or biological origin
that white plastic covers, which are more reflective than green, may be a better choice. Green covers were associated with higher canopy temperatures in two seasons and higher relative humidity in one season, but otherwise performed similarly. Biofabric