Effects of soil mulching on cucumber quality, water use efficiency and soil environment in greenhouse

Effects of various soil mulching models on cucumber quality, water use efficiency and soil environment in greenhouse were analyzed. Results show that, under the soil surface mulching model, cucumber yield and the contents of dry matter, soluble sugar, total vitamin C, soluble protein and total dissociative amino acid are increased, and also water use efficiency is enhanced. The effects of wheat straw with plastic film (WP) treatment are better than those of Wheat straw (WS), plastic film (PF). Under the same treatment, fruit quality and water use efficiency of grafted cucumber are significantly higher than those of own-rooted one. WS treatment enhances the lowest soil temperature and decreases the highest soil temperature, which make the range of soil temperature stable. PF treatment increases the highest soil temperature and decreases the lowest soil temperature, which result in soil temperature range larger. WP treatment does not only increase the lowest soil temperature, but also decreases the highest soil temperature. Diural fluctuation in soil respiration rate is a single-peak curve, the highest value appeared at about 14:30, as soil temperature at soil depth of 5~10cm. Moreover, a significantly positive correlation exists between soil temperature and soil respiration rate. The value of soil respiration rate of mulching treatments is significantly larger than that of the control, and decreases in order of WP, PF and WS. At soil depth of 0~20cm, minimum bulk density and maximum one were measured in WP and CK at the end of experiment respectively. Bulk density values of WP and WS are significantly less than that of CK, but the bulk density value of PF is appreciably less than that of CK. Bulk density values of all treatments become more and more similar with the increase of soil layer depth. The contents of soil organic matter, total N and P, available N, P and K at soil depth of 0~20cm under WS, WP treatment are significantly larger than those of CK and PF, and those of PF are smaller than those of CK.