EFFECT OF SOME SOIL MULCHING SYSTEMS ON WEED CONTROL AND PRODUCTION OF STRAWBERRY IN NEW EL SALHIA REGION

On weed infestation area in New El Salhia, six soil mulching systems, were investigated to estimate the ability of mulch types to combat weed infestation. The bare soil and corn stalks showed a weed infestation which increased and appeared in few weeks later after cultivation, compared with other others covering systems. While a significant reduction in weed infestation with black and white sheets treatments was occurred. In the 1^st period on 2^nd of October, no remarkable weeds infestation was appeared, it was 43.10 g/m^2 in all treatments. On 2nd of November, a remarkable existence of the weeds was found, it was 210 g/m^2 for bare soil, while it was 19 g/m^2 for black sheet treatment. Through the last period on 2^nd of December, the weed infestation was clearly found, the bare soil, corn stalks and rice straw were represented the higher values as compared with the other treatments, the conventional treatment of bare soil was represented by 310 g/m^2. The highest yield was in the treatment of black sheet due to the lowest infestation of weeds by 40 Mg/ha, compared with the white sheet and transparent sheet treatments which were 25 and 22 Mg/ha, respectively. Comparing the water use efficiency under the investigated treatments it can be observed that treatment of black sheet was the one where water use efficiency was the highest being with an average value nearly 11.17 kg/m^3. Plastic mulches are now an indispensable part of the modern vegetable production system, specially that the black sheets, than natural covering such as corn stalks and rice straw.