Abstract:
Considering a large number of cities located in arid and semi-arid climatic regions of the world with limited water resources, reducing water consumption and maintenance costs is an important research and implementation priority in urban landscaping. In other words, reducing the high costs of irrigation, increasing water use efficiency and reducing weed competition are important factors in achieving sustainable green spaces in arid and semiarid regions. Application of mulches is one of the suggested strategies for maintaining bed moisture and weed control. In this research, the effects of organic and inorganic mulches on the performance of the flowering plant of Blanket flower (Gaillardia sp.) were investigated in the arid climate city of Mashhad located in the northeast of Iran. The experiment was conducted as a randomized complete block design with three replications. The four mulch treatments included wood chips, scoria, pine leaves, polyethylene as a layer mulch, and no mulch as the control. The polyethylene mulch inhibited the weed growth up to 100%, and other mulch types also significantly reduced the percentage of the weed coverage (p≤0.01). Application of pine leaves delayed the flowering for seven days while polyethylene caused an early flowering to six days compared to the control. Using different mulch types in water shortage conditions of urban landscapes in arid and semi-arid regions is recommended.
Machine summary:
In this research, the effects of organic and inorganic mulches on the performance of the flowering plant of Blanket flower (Gaillardia sp.
(2011b) found that all types of the used mulches including sawdust, wood chips, compost, and sand increased the plant growth parameters compared to the control non-mulched treatments although there were no differences between the mulch types in terms of such effects.
It appeared that sawdust could improve the plant growth better than other mulch types by preserving the soil moisture and mitigating the drought stress.
(2011a) investigated the effect of four types of mulches with three different thicknesses on soil temperature, humidity, and some plant growth traits.
3. Results The results of the analysis of variance showed that some morphological and physiological characteristics in the studied plant were significant at 1% or 5% probability levels when different types of mulches were used on top of the cultivated soil with Blanket flower (Table 3).
In this study, the greenness and vitality of Blanket flower increased in the presence of different types of wood chips and scoria mulches compared to the control treatments.
It seems that maintaining the soil moisture and the temperature balance in the root environment as the mulch treatment effects allows the plants to enhance their quality and growth.
The treatment with mulches in the cultivation of Blanket flower also improved the water use efficiency in this plant.