Effects of non-living mulches and metribuzin on yield and yield components of tomato (Lycopersicon escolentum cv. CH)

To compare the effects of six types of non-living mulches (wheat straw, sawdust, coco peat, peat moss, transparent and black plastic) with metribuzin on yield and yield components of tomato cv "CH" and the weed control efficiency, a study was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications at School of Agriculture, Shiraz University in 2012. Plots without mulch (weedy and weed free) were considered as control. The highest and the lowest tomato dry weight accumulation was observed in the black plastic mulch (728.98 g m-2) and weedy treatment (126.22 g m-2), respectively. The highest number of fruits (marketable plus unmarketable fruits) per plant (208.33) under black plastic mulch treatment was observed at harvest time. Tomato yield in plots covered with transparent plastic and black plastic were 20.93, 8.31 kg m-2, respectively and were significantly different from those treated with herbicide (6.06 kg m-2). Weed control efficacy evaluation showed that black (82.23%) and transparent (86.23%) plastic were not significantly different from metribuzin (84.59%). Application of non-living mulches produced tomatoes of higher quality and quantity.