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Abstract

Organic mulches are very popular for weed control in sustainable agricultural systems where the application of synthetic herbicides is restricted. A study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of organic mulch in controlling weeds, enhancing soil matric potential, and soil temperature. Blended hardwood mulch was applied to the soil surface at a thickness of 10 cm. The experimental design was laid out as a completely randomized design with two treatments, viz., mulch and no-mulch, replicated 5 times. Data were collected during the growing period for weed biomass, soil matric potential, soil temperature, and yield of selected crops. Results from a two-way ANOVA revealed that the mulch treatments significantly (p≤0.50) reduced weed biomass, and soil temperature while increasing the soil matric potential and yields of okra, tomatoes, squash, and basil. It was concluded that the use of organic mulch was beneficial for weed control and increasing crop yield.

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