PROPERTIES OF HAZELNUT HUSKS AS MULCHING MATERIAL
2016
Zeki Demir
More than 70 % of the world hazelnut production comes from Black Sea region of Turkey. Hazelnut farming is the main agricultural practices in Duzce region located in the northwestern part of Turkey. Therefore a significant amount of husk is produced annually as hazelnut harvesting residue. Thus there is a potential of using these hazelnut husks (HH) as mulching materials in nurseries and gardening applications of ornamental plants. A pot experiment is conducted to investigate the effects of HH as mulching materials on water retention, weed control and plant growth. Upon the pots filled with soils the mulching material was applied on top of the soils at four levels (0 cm, 3 cm, 5 cm, and 8 cm). The effects of different levels of mulching treatments on water retention, weed germination and growth of wild privet (Ligustrum vulgare) were compared. The analysis of the data indicated that water lost can be decreased up to 19 % by applying 8 cm thick mulch comparing to that of bare soil. The germination rates of English ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and European grass (Agropyron repens) were decreased by 94 and 67 % on 8 cm mulch layer treatment comparing to that of the bare soil, respectively. Therefore, using HH as mulching materials for gardening practices can substantially reduce water consumption and the cost of weed control.
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