13 - Impact of Winter Soil Cover on Weed Management in Peppermint and Lemon Balm скачать в хорошем качестве

13 - Impact of Winter Soil Cover on Weed Management in Peppermint and Lemon Balm

𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗦𝗢𝗛𝗟𝗘𝗥 - 𝗟𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 Weed management is generally one of the most challenging steps in medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) production. It has a high impact on the production costs, particularly on farms located in mountain regions where mechanization for weed management is often limited. The use of a black polypropylene mulch for a winter ground cover has shown to be an effective method for reducing weed pressure in mint species. This study aimed to test this weed management technique on peppermint (Mentha x piperita) and lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) under mountain conditions in northeastern Italy. Field experiments were done for two years using a randomized block design with three replications. The plants were covered with mulch from November to March. Weed pressure, the time required for manual weeding and crop yield of peppermint and lemon balm were studied. The use of a winter cover reduced weed pressure in peppermint and lemon balm plots. However, the results were influenced by initial weed pressure in the plots and by annual variation. In conclusion, the use of a winter cover showed a clear reduction in weed pressure, while the yield of the MAP plants was not affected by the covering method.