Analysis of the Effects of Organic and Synthetic Mulching Films on the Weed, Root Yield, Essential Oil Yield, and Chemical Composition of <i>Angelica archangelica</i> L.

<i>Angelica archangelica</i> L. (Garden angelica) is a medicinal and aromatic plant from the <i>Apiaceae</i> family, originating from North Europe (Iceland, Greenland, and Scandinavian countries). <i>A. archangelica</i> is commonly used in traditional medicine to treat anxiety, insomnia, stomach and intestinal disorders, skin conditions, respiratory problems, and arthritis. This plant is generally cultivated for its root and seed where the essential oil (EO) is concentrated the most. <i>Angelica archangelica</i> cultivation has a lot of challenges but the main one is weed control; so, the aim of this study was to investigate the influence of four different mulch types as non-chemical weed control measures on weediness, fresh root yield, and EO chemical composition and yield from <i>A. archangelica</i> roots. A field trial was conducted with the following six treatments: two organic mulches, two synthetic mulches, and two controls (regular hand-weeded and weeded). The results show that the most present weeds were <i>Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Chenopodium album, Polygonum aviculare,</i> and <i>Polygonum lapathyfolium</i>, but synthetic mulch foils achieved the best weed suppression (100%). These fields also achieved the highest fresh root yield in both of the experimental seasons. The highest EO yield was detected with agrotextile mulch foil at season I (0.41%, <i>v</i>/<i>w</i>) and with the weeded control (0.51%, <i>v</i>/<i>w</i>) at season II, but dominant components at both seasons were α-pinene and β-phellandrene. The results suggest that the agrotextile black and silver–brown mulch foils achieved complete weed suppression, but the agrotextile black mulch foil had a better effect on fresh root yield, EO yield, and its chemical composition.