Effects of mulching and cover crops on soil erosion and yield of young tea [Sri Lanka]
1982
Sandanam, S. | Rajasingham, C.C. (Tea Research Inst. of Sri Lanka, Talawakelle)
An experiment conducted for four years after planting tea to test the effect of different ground cover treatments on soil erosion showed that about 143 mt ha-1 of soil was lost when the interrows were left bare. The soil loss from plots with Crotalaria, weeds and Eragrostis as cover crops was 38.9, 33.8 and 14.8 ha-1 respectively while that from plots mulched with Guatemala grass and Mana grass was 10.8 and 9.5 mt ha-1 respectively. More than 95% of the soil loss in the bare plot occurred in the first two years after planting tea while in the cover crop treatments 75 to 80% of the soil loss occurred in the first year, the soil loss thereafter being very small. In general mulching was the most effective means of reducing soil erosion. However, cover crops and weeds reduced it substantially. Soil moisture content, determined during the middle of the drought period, was higher in the mulched plots compared with that in the other treatments. Tipping weights recorded before bringing the plants into plucking showed that cover crops especially Crotalaria and Eragrostis retarded plant growth. Yield in the first year of plucking appeared to be lower in cover crop treatments. The yield differences in the second year of plucking did not show any definite trend and were not statistically significant
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