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Cultivation of potato – use of plastic mulch and row

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covers on soil temperature, growth, nutrient status,
and yield
a a b
Luz María Ruíz-Machuca , Luis Ibarra-Jiménez , Luis Alonso Valdez-Aguilar , Valentín
b b b
Robledo-Torres , Adalberto Benavides-Mendoza & Marcelino Cabrera-De La Fuente
a
Departamento de Plásticos en la Agricultura, Centro de Investigación en Química
Aplicada, Saltillo, Coahuila, 25294 México
b
Departamento de Horticultura, Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro, Saltillo,
Coahuila, 25315 México
Published online: 26 Sep 2014.

To cite this article: Luz María Ruíz-Machuca, Luis Ibarra-Jiménez, Luis Alonso Valdez-Aguilar, Valentín Robledo-Torres,
Adalberto Benavides-Mendoza & Marcelino Cabrera-De La Fuente (2015) Cultivation of potato – use of plastic mulch and
row covers on soil temperature, growth, nutrient status, and yield, Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B — Soil &
Plant Science, 65:1, 30-35, DOI: 10.1080/09064710.2014.960888

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 Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B — Soil & Plant Science, 2015
Vol. 65, No. 1, 30–35, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09064710.2014.960888

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Cultivation of potato – use of plastic mulch and row covers on

soil temperature, growth, nutrient status, and yield

Luz María Ruíz-Machucaa, Luis Ibarra-Jiméneza*, Luis Alonso Valdez-Aguilarb,

Downloaded by [Centro de Investigación en Química Aplicada] at 15:28 13 January 2015

Valentín Robledo-Torresb, Adalberto Benavides-Mendozab and Marcelino Cabrera-De La Fuenteb

a
Departamento de Plásticos en la Agricultura, Centro de Investigación en Química Aplicada, Saltillo, Coahuila, 25294
México; bDepartamento de Horticultura, Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro, Saltillo, Coahuila, 25315
México
(Received 15 June 2014; accepted 29 August 2014)

Potato is one of the most important crops in the world because of its high nutritional value; however, traditional
cultivation in bare soil may render low yields and poor quality. Crop production efficiency can be increased by
using plastic mulching and row covers to modify root zone temperature and plant growth, in addition to
reduction in pest damage and enhance production in cultivated plants. However, there is little information
demonstrating the effect of row covers in combination with plastic mulch on potato. The aim of this study was to
assess the change in root zone temperature and its effect on growth, leaf nutrient, and yield of potato using plastic
mulch of different colors, in combination with row covers. Seed of cultivar Mondial was planted in May 2012. The
study included four plastic films: black, white/black, silver/black, aluminum/black, and a control with bare soil,
which were evaluated alone and in combination with row covers removed at 30 days after sowing in a split-plot
design. Higher yields were obtained when no row cover (43.2 t ha−1) and the white/black film (42.2 t ha−1) were
used. Leaf nitrogen, sulfur, and manganese concentration were higher in plants when row cover was used; in
contrast, no–row cover plants were higher in Fe and Zn. Mulched plants were higher in Mn concentration than
control plants. There was a quadratic relationship between mean soil temperature and total yield (R2 = 0.94), and
between plant biomass and total yield (R2 = 0.98), between leaf area with total yield (R2 = 0.98).

Keywords: leaf area; soil temperature; plasticulture; Solanum tuberosum; total yield

Introduction fertilizers, allowing a better assimilation of nutrients

Potato, considered by some scientists as “the food of
the future,” is grown in more than 100 countries and
is an integral part of the global food system. It is the
world’s number one non-grain food commodity,
reaching a record production of 320 million tons in
2007. Consumption of potato has expanded strongly
in developing countries and accounts for more than a
half of the foods harvested in the world (FAO 2008).
Crop production efficiency and productivity can
be increased by mulching the soil with plastic films
as it improves soil conditions for plant growth,
including the effect on root zone temperature, weed
control, reduction in soil compaction and leaching of
(Lamont 2005; Ibarra-Jiménez et al. 2008). Mulch-
ing of soils with black plastic combined with drip
irrigation (Kumari 2012) were associated with a
decrease in evaporation of water from soil and plant
transpiration, increase in water use efficiency, higher
formation of stolons, higher leaf area, and higher
yield in potato.
Row covers protect plants from high radiation
without affecting soil moisture (Lamont 2010),
reduce the incidence of pests, reduce the use of
insecticides (Ibarra et al. 2002; Qureshi et al. 2007),
and render earlier and higher yield. The loss of
radiant and convective heat is reduced under the

*Corresponding author. Email: luis.ibarra@ciqa.edu.mx

This article was originally published with errors. This version has been amended. Please see Corrigendum (DOI: http://dx.doi.
org/10.1080/09064710.2014.976390)

© 2014 Taylor & Francis

 Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B — Soil & Plant Science 31
row covers, while soil temperature is increased.
Increased growth and yield are attributed to the
higher air temperature under the row cover; however,
in case they are not removed in time, row covers could
have negative effects on plants (Ibarra et al. 2000).
However, in México the combined use of row covers
and plastic mulching for potato cultivation has been
little studied. However, some research has demon-
strated increased yields in cucumber and melon
(Ibarra-Jiménez et al. 2004). In Mexico, potato is
planted in bare soils with different irrigation systems,
with widely contrasting yields; thus, research is
required to define new technologies to increase crop
Downloaded by [Centro de Investigación en Química Aplicada] at 15:28 13 January 2015
production. This study aims to increase the yield of
potato by using plastic mulch and row covers com-
bined with drip irrigation. Furthermore, this study
will document changes in soil temperature, plant
growth, leaf nutrient content, and yield of potato
and the effects of using different colored plastic mulch
either alone or combined with row cover.
Materials and methods
Site and experimental set-up
The experiment was carried out in the region of
Perote, Veracruz, México (19°34′ North Latitude,
97°15′ West Longitude, 2600 m above sea level). Soil
preparation was performed mechanically while beds
(1.80 m between beds and a length of 7 m), drip
irrigation tape (emitters spaced at 0.305 m and
0.98 L h−1 flow), and plastic mulch were formed or
made manually. The experiment was set up in a split-
plot design where the large plot contained two levels:
rows covered compared to not covered, and the small
plots contained the colored plastic mulch (black,
white/black, aluminum/black, and bare soil). Plastics
films were 1.2 m wide and 0.03 mm thick (Chester-
brook, PA, USA). Plastic films were installed on the
soil surface with a display face of 0.80 m. Irrigation
was performed when tensiometer (Riverside, Irrom-
eter, CA, USA) readings were at 30 centibars. Manual
planting took place on 14 May 2012 with two rows of
plants per bed (0.20 m spacing between plants at a soil
depth of 10 cm). Fertilization was at a rate of (N–P–K)
226–120–395 kg ha−1 applied through the drip irriga-
tion system during the growing season.
Soil temperature
During the first 30 days after seeding (DAS), soil
temperature at a depth of 0.10 m was measured with
type T thermocouples (copper/constantan) (0.6 mm
diameter) placed in the center of the bed and connected
to a multiplexer (AM25T; Campbell Scientific, Logan,
UT, USA) and to a data logger (CR850; Campbell
Scientific). The data logger was programmed to record
maximum, minimum, and mean temperatures every
10 seconds and store them on an hourly and daily
average basis.
Leaf area
The leaves and stems of each plant were harvested
at 30, 45, 60, and 75 DAS, and leaf area was
measured (LI-3100; LI-COR, Inc. Lincoln, NE,
USA). Leaves and stems were dried in an oven at
70°C for 72 hours and weighed to determine total
plant dry matter.
Leaf mineral analysis
Recently, fully expanded leaves were collected at
75 DAS, washed, and placed in a drying oven at
70°C for 72 hours. Dry leaf tissues were ground to
pass a 40-mesh sieve and digested in a 2:1 mixture
of H2SO4:HClO4 and 2 mL of 30% H2O2. The
digested samples were analyzed for N with micro-
Kjeldahl procedure, whereas K, P, S, Mg, Cu, Fe,
Mn, and Zn were analyzed with an inductively
coupled plasma emission spectrometer (ICP-AES,
model Liberty; VARIAN, Santa Clara, CA, USA).
Yield
Harvest and cleaning of tubers was performed manu-
ally at 80 DAS, and 20 days later, tubers were classified
on a weight basis in: first, second, third, and residual
quality. First-quality weighed approximately 380 g,
whereas the second quality weighed 270 g, the third
quality weighed 200 g, and the residual quality (resid-
ual and/or deformed or cracked tubers) weighed 100 g.
Statistical analysis
Data were analyzed using PROC GLM with SAS 9.2
(SAS Institute, Cary, NC), and means were sepa-
rated according to Duncan’s multiple range test (p ≤
0.05). Analysis of linear and quadratic regression was
performed in order to analyze the relationship
between variables.
Results and discussion
Soil average maximum temperature was higher when
row cover was used compared to no–row cover soils;
however, no effect was detected on minimum and
mean soil temperature (Table 1). In several species,
okra (Brown & Channell-Butcher 2000), muskme-
lon (Ibarra et al. 2001), celery (Jenni et al. 2006),
cucumber (Wolfe et al. 1989), and bell pepper
(Jolliffe & Gaye 1995), the use of row cover leads
 32 L.M. Ruíz-Machuca et al.
Table 1. Maximum, minimum, and mean temperature of Table 2. Leaf area of potato plants grown in soils mulched
soils mulched with colored plastic films and row covers with colored plastic films and row covers removed at
removed at 30 days after seeding (DAS). 30 days after seeding (DAS).

Temperature (°C) Leaf area (cm2 plant‒1)

Maximum Minimum Mean 30 DAS 45 DAS 60 DAS 75 DAS Mean

Row cover Row cover

No row cover 22.9 a 11.6 a 16.6 a No row 332 a 4595 a 8603 a 13,045 a 6644 a
Row cover 26.3 b 13.0 a 18.6 a cover
Mulch color Row cover 248 b 2629 b 6458 b 8696 b 4508 b
Black 27.3 a 13.5 a 19.4 a Mulch
White/black 26.1 a 12.5 a 18.3 ab Black 327 a 3695 bc 7692 ab 12,211 a 5981 a
Silver/white 26.5 a 12.5 a 18.4 ab White/black 317 a 4633 a 8651 a 11,784 a 6346 a
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Aluminum 22.2 b 12.6 a 16.8 b Silver/white 294 a 4071 ab 8038 ab 12,865 a 6317 a
Bare soil 20.7 b 10.3 b 15.0 c Aluminum 300 a 3313 c 7435 b 9865 b 5228 b
p Bare soil 212 b 2349 d 5835 c 7629 c 4006 c
Row covers (RC) 0.062 0.356 0.233 p
Mulch (M) 0.001 0.009 0.001 Row covers 0.001 0.004 0.001 0.001 0.005
RC × M 0.071 0.694 0.255 (RC)
Mulch (M) 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001
Note: Means within each column followed by the same letter are RC × M 0.016 0.147 0.714 0.016 0.003
not significantly different according to Duncan’s test (p ≤ 0.05).
Note: Means within each column followed by the same letter are
not significantly different according to Duncan’s test (p ≤ 0.05).
to earlier production and higher yields. The increase
in soil temperature is due to the reduction in the loss
of radiant and convective heat under the covers). average, plants grown in mulched soils outperformed
Maximum temperature achieved in soils mulched the control by 49.0% higher leaf area. Several studies
with aluminum film and in the control treatment (Andino & Motsenbocker 2004; Díaz-Pérez 2010;
was lower than that of the other colors; nonetheless, Kumari 2012) reported a positive effect of plastic
the minimum and mean soil temperatures under the mulch treatments in relation to the production
plastic mulches outperformed that of the control of leaf area, dry matter, and consequently higher
(Table 1). The positive effect of plastic mulch on yields in watermelon (Andino & Motsenbocker
soil temperature directly impacts the microclimate 2004), bell pepper (Díaz-Pérez 2010), and potato
around the plant and modifies the balance between (Kumari 2012).
the absorbed and reflected radiation transmitted The use of row covers caused plants to have a lower
through the plastic mulch. The color of the plastic total dry weight (Table 3); except at 30 DAS, the
largely determines the behavior of radiant energy
Table 3. Plant dry weight of potato plants as affected
and its influence on the microclimate, which in by colored plastic mulches and row covers removed at
turns affect soil temperature (Tarara 2000; Lamont 30 days after seeding (DAS).
2005). In general, plastic mulch increased soil
temperature in relation to bare soil, being greater Plant dry weight (g plant‒1)
for plastics of darker colors in contrast to colors with
high reflectance, such as white, silver, and alumi- 30 DAS 45 DAS 60 DAS 75 DAS Mean
num (Rangarajan & Ingall 2001). Row cover
Using row covers in combination with plastic No row 2.83 a 56.2 a 81.0 a 127.5 a 66.9 a
mulching of soils on potato affected leaf area (Table 2). cover
In the four sampling dates, plants without row cover Row cover 2.02 a 45.7 b 67.5 b 110.2 b 56.3 b
Mulch
exceeded (p ≤ 0.01) the leaf area of covered plants by Black 2.65 a 51.3 b 74.8 b 124.0 b 63.2 b
47.5%. An enhancing effect of plastic mulch and row White/black 2.6 a 57.2 a 80.3 a 127.2 a 66.8 a
covers in cucurbits, such as watermelon (Arancibia & Silver/white 2.36 a 55.1 ab 79.8 a 126.9 a 66.0 a
Motsenbocker 2008) and melons (Jenni et al. 1996), Aluminum 2.60 a 48.3 c 71.0 c 111.9 c 58.5 c
has been reported. In contrast to the results observed Bare soil 1.88 b 42.7 d 65.3 d 104.3 d 53.5 d
p
in the present study, higher leaf area and yields were Row covers 0.056 0.002 0.001 0.009 0.001
reported for both species compared to plants with (RC)
plastic mulch without row cover (Soltani et al. 1995; Mulch (M) 0.004 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001
Ibarra-Jiménez et al. 2004). RC × M 0.523 0.467 0.097 0.214 0.042
The plants grown in mulched soils showed a higher Note: Means within each column followed by the same letter are
leaf area compared to control plants in bare soil. On not significantly different according to Duncan’s test (p ≤ 0.05).
 Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B — Soil & Plant Science 33
Table 4. Leaf nutrient concentrations in potato on colored plastic mulch and row covers removed at 30 days after seeding
(DAS).

Nutrient concentration (ppm)

N P K S Mg Cu Fe Mn Zn

Row cover
No row cover 9584 a 2274 a 7581 a 2380 a 2821 a 8.95 a 144.2 b 160.7 a 14.8 b
Row cover 7965 b 2264 a 7625 a 2160 b 2635 a 8.80 a 159.6 a 144.1 b 17.6 a
Mulch
Black 8575 bc 2224 ab 8101 a 2413 a 2529 b 8.50 b 158.6 a 148.4 b 14.4 c
White/black 10,263 ab 2748 a 7977 a 2200 a 3250 a 8.62 b 152.8 a 153.6 ab 15.6 bc
Silver/black 10,813 a 2693 a 7698 a 2200 a 2562 b 12.00 a 152.8 a 165.5 a 17.7 a
Aluminum 7150 c 1548 b 6680 a 2350 a 2193 b 8.25 bc 160.5 a 166.8 a 16.5 ab
Downloaded by [Centro de Investigación en Química Aplicada] at 15:28 13 January 2015

Bare soil 7071 c 2133a b 7559 a 2187 a 3106 a 7.00 c 150.6 a 127.5 c 16.7 ab
p
Row cover (RC) 0.008 0.570 0.366 0.038 0.463 0.215 0.006 0.017 0.023
Mulch (M) 0.002 0.011 0.467 0.465 0.001 0.001 0.068 0.001 0.004
RC  M 0.142 0.958 0.933 0.492 0.075 0.052 0.091 0.420 0.969
Note: Means within each column followed by the same letter are not significantly different according to Duncan’s test (p ≤ 0.05).

plants without row cover showed higher total dry the results of the present study since the treatments
weight compared to plants with row cover. These with no cover had significantly (p ≤ 0.01) higher
results are in contrast with those obtained by Jolliffe yield compared to treatments with row cover
and Gaye (1995) in pepper as plants responded (except in the residual grade), which, on average,
favorably when row cover was used. In this study, yielded 10.7 t ha−1 (32.9%).
the mulching of potato plants resulted in increased The highest yield of tubers of first quality (16.9 t ha−1)
total dry weight regardless of film color, which is was obtained when plants were mulched with black
explained by the modification of the radiation balance plastic (Table 5). Díaz-Pérez et al. (2007) reported
in the soil surface and the change in the microclimate, contrasting results in tomato, as mulching with black
which in turn resulted in more vigorous plants plastic films decreased vegetative growth and fruit
due to enhanced vegetative growth (Lamont 2005; production due to the increased soil temperature. Yield
Kasperbauer 2000). of tubers of second rate (16.3 t ha−1) was obtained
The use of row cover affected leaf nutrient status with white/black plastic mulch, whereas for the third-
as plants exhibited higher concentration of Fe and quality rate it was with the film of aluminum color
Zn compared with uncovered plants; however, N, S,
and Mn were reduced (Table 4). Compared to the Table 5. Tuber yield of potato plants, according to quality
control plants in bare soil, concentration of N, Cu, rate, mulched with colored plastic films and row covers
and Mn was higher in leaves of plants mulched with removed 30 days after seeding (DAS).
films of white/black, silver/black, and black colors.
Magnesium concentration was reduced in leaves of Yield (t ha−1)
plants mulched with plastics of black, silver/black,
First Second Third Residual Total
and aluminum color. Our results are partially in
contrast with reports by Díaz-Pérez (2010), which Row cover
indicate that the accumulation of mineral nutrients No row 16.9 a 12.5 a 9.9 a 3.9 b 43.2 a
in leaves and fruits of bell pepper was affected by cover
the color of the plastic mulch during the spring but Row cover 9.8 b 10.2 b 8.2 b 4.3 a 32.5 b
Mulch
not in the fall season, indicating that soil temperat- Black 16.9 a 11.7 b 7.7 d 2.9 d 39.3 b
ure plays an important role in the accumulation of White/black 15.9 ab 16.3 a 6.9 d 3.1 d 42.2 a
nutrients in fruits and leaves. Silver/black 14.7 b 11.3 bc 10.0 b 4.4 b 40.5 ab
Row covers should be carefully used as some Aluminum 11.2 c 10.4 c 12.0 a 3.2 c 36.8 c
Bare soil 7.9 d 7.1 d 8.7 c 6.8 a 30.4 d
species are reported sensitive to the supraoptimal p
air temperatures that may develop under the cover Row covers 0.001 0.012 0.027 0.001 0.001
and that can have negative effects (Ibarra-Jiménez (RC)
et al. 2004). In potato, small tunnels were effective Mulch (M) 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001
in protecting plants from aphids that are vectors RC  M 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.017 0.001
of virus and leaf rust (Webb & Linda 1992). The Note: Means within each column followed by the same letter are
aforementioned research is partly consistent with not significantly different according to Duncan’s test (p ≤ 0.05).
 34 L.M. Ruíz-Machuca et al.
45
40
Total yield (t ha–1)
35
y = –0.8274x 2 + 30.679x –243.77
30
Control
25
14 15 16
Mean soil temperature (°C)
Figure 1. Relationship between mean soil temperature
and total tuber yield of potato as affected by mulching with
colored plastic films.
Downloaded by [Centro de Investigación en Química Aplicada] at 15:28 13 January 2015
−1
(12.0 t ha ). The lowest yield was observed in plants
mulched with black and white/black plastic films.
Plants grown in bare soil resulted with the highest yield
of cull-grade tubers.
Tuber total yield was obtained in plants mulched
with films of white/black and silver color, exceeding
the yield of control plants by 38.7% and 33.0%,
respectively. The total yield obtained with black and
aluminum plastic film exceeded that of plants grown
in bare soil by 29.1% and 20.7%, respectively. Our
results are in contrast with those obtained by Wang
et al. (2009, 2011) as mulched potato plants exhib-
ited restrained growth mainly due to the higher air
and soil temperature detected in the study, which
have been reported to be harmful for potato produc-
tion (Kar & Kumar 2007).
Mean soil temperature influenced tuber yield
(Figure 1); white/black and silver/black plastic films
recorded an average soil temperature of 18.5°C
and were associated with the highest tuber yield.
However, when soil temperature increased to about
19.5°C, yield tended to decrease. The results are in
agreement with those obtained by Díaz-Pérez (2010)
with bell pepper mulched with silver and white
plastic films as root zone temperature influenced
positively fruit yield; however, in that study, plants
mulched with the black plastic film had a lower yield
in the fall due to an increase in mean soil temperat-
ure. In contrast, in our study the black plastic mulch
had a positive effect on producing high-quality
45
y = –3E-07x 2+ 0.0072x + 5.6317
Total yield (t ha–1)
40 R 2 = 0.98
35
30 Control
25
3500 4000 4500
Leaf area (cm2 plant–1)
Figure 2. Relationship between leaf area and total
tuber yield of potato as affected by mulching with colored
plastic films.
45
White/black
Black
Total yield (t ha–1)
40
Silver/black
Silver/black Black Black
35 Aluminum
Aluminum
30
Control y = –0.0349x 2 + 5.0223x –138.14
R 2 = 0.94 R 2 = 0.98
25
50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 68
Biomass (g planta–1)
17 18 19 20
Figure 3. Relationship between biomass and total yield
of potato tubers as affected by mulching with colored
plastic films.
tubers. In a different study by Díaz-Pérez et al.
(2005) with tomatillo (Physalis ixocarpa), the black
plastic mulch had no significant effect on yield;
however, in the present study, the black plastic film
had a positive relationship between tuber production
and the average temperature of the root zone.
Total yield increased as leaf area of potato plants
increased (Figure 2). The plastic films affected leaf
area in the following sequence: black/white, silver/
black, black, aluminum, and the control. The results
are partly similar to those obtained in hot pepper by
Iqbal et al. (2009) as mulching with black plastic film
provided the best results in order to maximize leaf
area and yield of pepper. Kumari (2012) reported
that black plastic mulch plus drip irrigation con-
served soil moisture, stimulated shoot growth, and
produced higher leaf area and yield in potato;
however, the tubers were smaller compared to those
obtained with bare soil, probably due to the marked
increase in soil temperature (9°C).
Mulching of soil enhanced biomass production
(Figure 3), which was associated with the increased
total tuber yield. Regardless of the film color,
mulching of soils was associated with a higher
biomass and total yield. However, mulching with
films of aluminum color caused lower biomass and
tuber yield. Contrasting results were obtained by
Hassan (1995) in pepper, since mulching with
plastic films of aluminum color caused better ratio
of dry biomass and yield. The use of plastic mulch
promotes changes in the microclimate of the plant,
White/black favoring growth and vigor, production, and yield of
plants (Andino & Motsenbocker 2004; López-López
Black
Silver/black et al. 2009; Díaz-Pérez 2010).
Aluminum
Mulching with plastic films allowed an increase in
growth and tuber yield of potato plants according
to the plastic color. The highest tuber yield was
5000 5500 6000 6500 obtained when soil was mulched with the white/black
plastic. Row covers are not recommended for potato
as they adversely affected tuber yield. Mulching of
soils, alone or combined with row covers, affected
the concentration of some nutrients in leaves.
 Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B — Soil & Plant Science 35
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