The influence of organic mulches on onion (Allium cepa L.) agrocenosis

Leidinio DOI: https://doi.org/10.7220/1822-9913.2020The field experiment was carried out in 2019 on farmers farm located in Gilaičiai village, Kužiai eldership, Šiauliai district. The aim of the experiment was to determine the influence of organic mulches and different thickness of mulch layer on the yield of onions, earthworm number and biomass in the soil. Experiment treatments: Factor A – mulches: 1) without mulching; 2) one year storage straw mulch; 3) three years of storage straw mulch; 4) winter rape mulch; 5) grass mulch. Factor B – thickness of mulch layer: 1) 5 cm; 2) 10 cm. Coating of soil with organic mulches significantly increased the yield of onions compared to not mulched plots. Grass mulch had the most significant effect on the onions yield – the yield of onions grown in these plots was 1.3 times higher than that of onions grown in plots without mulch. The thickness of the mulch layer had no significant effect on the yield of the onions. Covering the soil with different organic mulches significantly increased the number and biomass of earthworms in the soil compared to not mulched plots. The number of earthworms in grass mulched plots was 18.1 times and the weight of earthworms in rape mulched plots was 9.2 times higher than in control not mulched plots. The different thickness of the mulch layer did not significantly affect the number of earthworms and their mass in the soilAgronomijos fakultetasVytauto Didžiojo universiteta